. 


r/^«*o^ 


MEMOIR 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS, 


WRITTEN    BY    HERSELF. 


ADDITIONAL   NOTICES, 


BY    A    FRIEND. 


BOSTON: 
PUHLISHED   BY    GRAY   AND    BOWEN. 

1832. 


ENTERED  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1832, 

By  GRAY  &  Bow  EN, 
in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


PRINTED     BY    I.    R.     B  U  T  T  S....B  O  8  T  O  N  . 


TS 
\o 

.A3 
1*32. 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE. 


THE  autobiography  of  Miss  ADAMS  is  written  with 
the  modesty  and  unobtrusiveness  which  distinguished 
her  character.  It  appears  as  if  composed  reluctantly, 
under  the  feeling  that  the  community  could  hardly 
care  to  know  anything  about  the  struggles,  disappoint- 
ments', hopes  and  purposes  of  an  individual  so  hum- 
ble as  herself.  She  undertook  the  task  at  the  request 
of  some  of  her  friends,  who  thought  that  the  cir- 
cumstances of  her  life,  and  the  traits  of  her  charac- 
ter, well  deserved  to  be  remembered.  But  her 
principal  motive  in  executing  it,  was  to  leave  it  as  a 
legacy,  which  she  hoped  might  be  of  some  small 
benefit  to  an  aged  and  very  infirm  sister,  to  whose 
comfort  she  had  devoted  her  little  savings  for  many 
years.  It  presents  a  lithographic  drawing  of  herself, 
which  will  recall  the  features  of  her  mind  to  those 
who  knew  her,  and  give  some  idea  of  them  to  those 
who  did  not. 

The  continuation  of  her  life  is  by  a  lady,  one  of 


those  friends  whose  kindness  she  has  acknowledged 
with  warm  gratitude  towards  the  conclusion  of  her 
own  narrative.  It  could  not  have  been  confided  to 
better  hands.  The  discrimination  and  delicacy  with 
which  the  retiring  virtues,  and  nicer  shades  of  her 
character  are  delineated  and  produced,  will  explain 
to  those  who  did  not  know  her,  what  was  the  charm 
that  drew  genius  and  wealth,  and  youth  and  beauty, 
to  minister  with  so  much  interest  to  the  infirmities  of 
a  poor  old  woman. 

Miss  ADAMS  was  indeed  deserving  of  such  interest. 
Her  life  is,  in  many  respects,  full  of  instruction. 
Among  those  who  have  overcome  great  and  peculiar 
difficulties  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  she  holds  a 
distinguished  place.  She  became  a  literary  woman, 
when  literature  was  a  rare  accomplishment  in  our 
country.  She  has  produced  one  work,  her  History 
of  Religionsjjtyhicjijsjhe  best  of  its  kind,  eminent 
for  its  great  impartiality.}  But  it  was  not  merely  for 
her  powers  of  mind  that  she  was  remarkable,  but  for 
her  warm  affections,  her  glow  of  gratitude,  and  her 
(childlike  simplicTFyV)  It  is  honorable  to  the  commu- 
nity in  which  she  lived,  that  an  individual,  destitute 
as  she  was  of  all  adventitious  claims  to  distinction, 
should  have  been  properly  estimated  and  respected. 
This  note  is  prefixed  by  the  gentlemen  to  whom 
she  left  the  charge  of  publishing  her  manuscript. 

A.  N. 
J.  T. 


CHAPTER    I. 


BEING  arrived  at  an  age  in  which  I  cannot 
reasonably  expect  my  life  will  be  long  con- 
tinued, at  the  request  of  a  highly  esteem- 
ed friend  I  am  about  to  give  a  concise  out- 
line of  my  past  life ;  notwithstanding  I  am 
sensible  that  a  retrospect  of  past  errors,  faults 
and  misfortunes,  will  be  exceedingly  painful. 

I  was  born  in  Medfield,  a  country  town 
about  eighteen  miles  from  Boston.  My  father 
early  imbibed  a  love  of  literature,  and  pre- 
pared to  enter  the  university.  But  as  his 
constitution  then  appeared  to  be  very  infirm, 
and  he  was  an  only  son,  his  parents  were 
strenuously  opposed  to  his  leaving  them. 
Accordingly,  to  his  inexpressible  disappoint- 
ment, he  was  obliged  to  settle  upon  their  large 
farm,  without  a  suitable  knowledge  of,  or 
taste  for,  agricultural  pursuits.  This  induc- 
1 


Z  LIFE    OF 

ed  him  to  open  a  shop,  for  the  sale,  principal- 
ly, of  English  Goods  and  Books.  His  taste 
for  reading  continued  unabated  till  his  death, 
which  took  place  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eightyeight  years. 

From  my  infancy  I  had  a  feeble  constitu- 
tion ;  in  particular,  an  extreme  weakness 
and  irritability  in  my  nervous  system.  Hence 
I  can  recollect  uneasiness  and  pain  previous 
to  any  pleasurable  sensations.  My  mother 
was  an  excellent  woman,  and  deservedly  es- 
teemed and  beloved  ;  but  as  her  own  health 
was  delicate,  and  she  possessed  great  tender- 
ness and  sensibility,  I  was  educated  in  all  the 
habits  of  debilitating  softness,  which  probably 
added  to  my  constitutional  want  of  bodily 
and  mental  firmness.  | 

My  father's  circumstances  then  appeared 
affluent,  and  it  was  not  supposed  I  should  be 
reduced  to  the  necessity  of  supporting  my- 
self by  my  own  exertions.  Partly  from  ill 
health,  and  an  early  singularity  of  taste,  1 
took  no  pleasure  in  the  amusements  to 
which  children  are  generally  much  attached. 
My  health  did  not  even  admit  of  attending 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  3 

school  with  the  children  in  the  neighborhood 
where  I  resided.  The  country  schools,  at 
that  time,  were  kept  but  a  few  months  in 
the  year,  and  all  that  was  then  taught  in 
them  was  reading,  writing  and  arithmetic. 
In  the  summer,  the  children  were  instructed 
by  females  in  .reading,  sewing,  and  other 
kinds  of  work.  The  books  chiefly  made  use 
of  were  the  Bible,  and  Psalter.  Those  who 
have  had  the  advantages  of  receiving  the  ru- 
diments of  their  education  at  the  schools  of 
the  present  day,  can  scarcely  form  an  ade- 
quate idea  of  the  contrast  between  them,  and 
those  of  an  earlier  age  ;  and  of  the  great  im- 
provements which  have  been  made  even  in 
the  common  country  schools.  The  disad- 
vantages of  my  early  education  I  have  expe- 
rienced during  life  ;  and,  among  various  oth- 
ers, the  acquiring  a  very  faulty  pronunciation ; 
a  habit  contracted  so  early,  that  I  cannot 
wholly  rectify  it  in  later  years. 

In  my  early  years  I  was  extremely  timid, 
and  averse  from  appearing  in  company.  In- 
deed, I  found  but  few  with  whom  I  could 
happily  associate.  My  life,  however,  was 


4  LIFE    OF 

not  devoid  of  enjoyment.  The  first  strong 
propensity  of  my  mind  which  I  can  recollect, 
was  an  ardent  curiosity,  and  desire  to  acquire 
^l  knowledge.  I  remember  that  my  first  ideaof 
the  happiness  of  Heaven  was,  of  a  place 
where  we  shouldfind  our  thirstfor  knowledge 
fully  gratified.  From  my  predominant  taste 
I  was  induced  to  apply  to  reading,  and  as  my 
father  had  a  considerable  library,  I  was  en- 
abled to  gratify  my  inclination.  I  read  with 
avidity  a  variety  of  books,  previously  to 
my  mind's  being  sufficiently  matured,  and 
strengthened,  to  make  a  proper  selection.  I 
was  passionately  fond  of  novels ;  and,  as  I 
lived  in  a  state  of  seclusion,  I  acquired  false 
ideas  of  life.  The  ideal  world  which  my 
imagination  formed  was  very  different  from 
the  real.  My  passions  were  naturally  strong, 
and  this  kind  of  reading  heightened  my  sen- 
sibility, by  calling  it  forth  to  realize  scenes 
/  of  imaginary  distress.  I  was  also  an  enthu- 
siastic admirer  of  poetry  ;  and  as  .my  memory, 
at  an  early  period,  was  very  tenacious,  I 
committed  much  of  the  writings  of  my  favor- 
ite poets  to  memory,  such  as  Milton,  Thorn- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  5 

son,  Young,  &c.  I  did  not,  however,  neglect 
the  study  of  history  and  biography,  in  each 
of  which  kind  of  reading  I  found  an  inexhausti- 
ble fund  to  feast  my  mind,  and  gratify  my  cu- 
riosity. 

Another  source  of  my  enjoyments  in  early 
life  was  an  ardent  admirati  n  of  the  beau- 
ties of  nature.  This  enthusiasm  was  height- 
ened by  the  glowing  descriptions  of  poetic 
writers,  and  I  entered  into  all  their  feelings. 
This  taste  has  continued  through  life.  At  the 
present  time,  when  age  and  experience  have 
in  some  measure  repressed  the  warmth  of  my 
feelings,  and  while  I  am  now  writing,  I 
should  be  more  delighted  with  beautiful  ru- 
ral prospects,  and  fine  flowers,  than  when  in 
early  life  I  used  to  be  enraptured  with  con- 
templating the  sublime  and  beautiful  in  the 
works  of  creation. 

My  early  life  was  diversified  with  few 
events,  and  those  of  a  painful  nature.  The 
loss  of  my  excellent  mother,  which  happen- 
ed when  I  had  reached  my  tenth  year,  was 
the  first  severe  trial  I  was  called  to  suffer. 
When  her  death  took  place,  I  was  at  an  age 
1* 


6  LIFE    OF 

wjien  maternal  direction  is  of  the  greatest 
importance,  particularly  in  the  education  of 
daughters.  Soon  after,  I  was  bereaved  of 
an  aunt,  who  was  attached  to  me  with  al- 
most maternal  fondness.  A  few  years  after, 
my  father  failed  in  trade,  in  consequence  of 
which  I  was  reduced  to  poverty,  with  a  con- 
stitution and  early  habits  which  appeared  in- 
vincible obstacles  to  my  supporting  myself 
by  my  own  exertions.  Instead  of  that  gaye- 
ty,  which  is  often  attendant  on  youth,  I  was 
early  accustomed  to  scenes  of  melancholy 
and  distress  ;  and  every  misfortune  was  en- 
hanced by  a  radical  want  of  health,  and  firm- 
ness of  mind.  My  life  passed  in  seclusion, 
with  gloomy  prospects  before  me,  and  sur- 
rounded with  various  perplexities  frc/m  which 
I  could  not  extricate  myself.  The  solitude 
in  which  I  lived  was,  however,  to  me,  pre- 
ferable to  society  in  general ;  and  to  that, 
and  to  my  natural  singularity,  I  must  impute 
that  awkwardness  of  manners,  of  which  I 
never  could  divest  myself  at  an  advanced  pe- 
riod of  life.  A  consciousness  of  this  awkward- 
ness produced  a  dislike  to  the  company  of 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  7 

strangers.  Those  who  have  been  accustom- 
ed to  general  society  when  young,  can  scarce- 
ly imagine  the  trembling  timidity  I  felt,  when 
introduced  to  my  superiors  in  circumstances 
and  education.  b  I,  however,  enjoyed  society 
upon  a  small  scale.  I  had  a  few  dear  friends, 
(for  novels  had  taught  me  to  be  very  roman- 
tic,) who  were  chiefly  in  indigent  circumstan- 
ces, and  like  myself  had  imbibed  a  taste  for 
reading,  and  were  particularly  fond  of  poet- 
ry and  novels.  Most  of  them  wrote  verses, 
which  were  read  and  admired  by  the  whole 
little  circle.  Our  mutual  love  of  literature, 
want  of  fortune,  and  indifference  to  the  so- 
ciety of  those  whose  minds  were  wholly  un- 
cultivated, served  to  cement  a  union  between 
us,  which  was  interrupted  only  by  the  remov- 
al of  the  parties  to  distant  places,  and  dis- 
solved only  by  their  death.  Yet  I  soon 
experienced  this  melancholy  change.  One 
after  another  became  victims  to  the  King  of 
Terrors,  till  our  little  society  was  greatly 
diminished  ;  and  I  deeply  felt  these  bereave- 
ments which  were  irreparable. 
Still,  however,  I  was  blessed  with  a  sister  of 


8  LIFE    OP 

similar  taste  and  sentiments,  but  very  dif- 
ferent in  her  disposition.  I  was  warm  and  ir- 
ritable in  my  temper  ;  she,  placid  and  even. 
I  was  fluctuating  and  undecided  ;  she,  steady 
and  judicious.  I  was  extremely  timid  ;  she 
blended  softness  with  courage  and  fortitude. 
I  was  inclined  to  be  melancholy,  though 
sometimes  in  high  spirits  ;  she  was  uniform- 
ly serene  and  cheerful.  I  placed  the  strong- 
est reliance  upon  her  judgment,  and  as  she 
was  older  than  myself,  she  seemed  the  ma- 
ternal friend,  as  well  as  the  best  of  sisters. 
In  short,  «  she  was  my  guide,  my  friend,  my 
earthly  a//.' 

As  I  was  too  feeble  to  engage  in  any  la- 
borious employments,  I  found  considerable 
leisure  for  reading ;  and  as  my  happiness 
chiefly  consisted  in  literary  pursuits,  I  was 
very  desirous  of  learning  the  rudiments  of  Lat- 
in, Greek,  geography,  and  logic.  Some  gen- 
tlemen who  boarded  at  my  father's  offered 
to  instruct  me  in  these  branches  of  learning 
gratis,  and  I  pursued  these  studies  with  in- 
describable pleasure  and  avidity.  I  still, 
however,  sensibly  felt  the  want  of  a  more  sys- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS. 

tematic  education,  and  those  advantages  which 
females  enjoy  in  the  present  day.  Yet  as  I 
always  read  with  great  rapidity,  perhaps 
few  of  my  sex  have  perused  more  books 
at  the  age  of  twenty  than  I  had.  Yet 
my  reading  was  very  desultory,  and  novels 
engaged  too  much  of  my  attention.  Though 
my  seclusion  from  the  world  preserved  me 
from  niany^  temptations  which  are  incident 
to  young  people,  I  was  perhaps  more  expos- 
ed to  errors  of  the  understanding,  than  those 
who  in  early  life  have  mixed  more  with  the 
world.  Time  and  experience  have  led  me 
to  see  the  falsity  of  many  of  my  early  opin- 
ions, and  ideas,  and  made  me  sensible  that 
they  were  the  source  of  a  large  share  of 
the  misfortunes  of  my  following  life, 


10  LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER    II. 

4 

UNTIL  I  had  attained  the  twentieth  year 
\  iT  of  my  age,  my  reading  had  chiefly  consisted 
jy  J^  of  works  of  imagination  and  feeling  ;  such  as 
novels  and  poetry.     Even  the  religious  works 
/  I  perused  were  chiefly  devotional  poetry,  and 
such  works  as  Mrs  Rowe's  Devout  Exercises, 
and  the  lives  of  persons  who  were  eminent- 
ly distinguished   for  their   piety.     I  was  al- 
most a  stranger  to  controversial  works,  and 
had  never  examined  the  points  in  dispute  be- 
tween different  denominations  of  Christians. 
But  at  length  an  incident  in  my  life  gave  a 
different  turn  to  my  literary  pursuit. 

While  I  was  engaged  in  learning  Latin  and 
Greek,  one  of  the  gentlemen  who  taught  me 
had  by  him  a  small  manuscript  from  Brough- 
ton's  Dictionary,  giving  an  account  of  Armin- 
ians,  Calvinists,  and  several  other  denomina- 
tions which  were  most  common.  This  awak- 
ened my  curiosity,  and  I  assiduously  engag- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  11 

ed  myself  in  perusing  all  the  books  which  I 
could  obtain,  which  gave  an  account  of  the 
various  sentiments  described.  I  soon  became  ~-  1_ 
disgusted  with  the  want  of  candor  in  the  / 
authors  I  consulted,  in  giving  the  most  unfa- 
vorable descriptions  of  the  denominations 
they  disliked,  and  applying  to  them  the  names 
of  heretics,  fanatics,  enth  usiasts,  &c.  I  there-  V j|| 
fore  formed  a  plan  for  myself,  made  a  blank 
book,  and  wrote  rules  for  transcribing,  and 
adding  to,  my  compilation.  But  as  I  was 
stimulated  to  proceed  only  by  curiosity,  and 
never  had  an  idea  of  deriving  any  profit  from 
it,  the  compilation  went  on  but  slowly,  though 
I  was  pressed  by  necessity  to  make  every  exer- 
tions in  my  power  for  my  immediate  support. 
During  the  American  revolutionary  war,  I 
learned  to  weave  bobbin  lace,  which  was  then 
saleable,  and  much  more  profitable  to  me  than 
spinning,  sewing  or  knitting,  which  had  pre- 
viously been  my  employment.  At  this  pe- 
riod I  found  but  little  time  for  literary  pur- 
suits. But  at  the  termination  of  the  Amer- 
ican war,  this  resource  failed,  and  I  was  again 
left  in  a  destitute  situation.  My  health  did 


12  LIFE    OF 

not  admit  of  my  teaching  a  school,  and  I 
was  glad  to  avail  myself  of  every  opportu- 
nity of  taking  any  kind  of  work  which  I 
could  do,  though  the  profit  was  very  small, 
and  inadequate  to  my  support.  One  pleas- 
ing event  occurred  in  this  gloomy  period.  I 
had  the  satisfaction  of  teaching  the  rudiments 
of  Latin  and  Greek  to  three  young  gentle- 
men, who  resided  in  the  vicinity.  This  was 
some  advantage  to  me.  Besides,  it  was  a 
pleasant  amusement.  One  of  these  young 
gentlemen  was  the  Rev.  Mr  Clark,  of  Norton, 
who  pursued  his  studies  with  me  till  he  en- 
tered Cambridge  University,  and  has  contin- 
ued his  friendship  for  me  during  life  ;  and 
his  uniform  excellent  character  I  have  ever 
highly  appreciated. 

The_  difficulty  of  taking  in  such  kinds  of 
work  as  I  could  do,  for  I  was  not,  like  my 
sister,  ingenious  in  all  kinds  of  needle  work, 
>;  induced  me,  as  the  last  resort,  to  attend  to  my 
manuscript,  with*the  faint  hope  that  it  might 
be  printed,  and  afford  me  some  little  ad- 
vantage. I  was  far  from  being  sanguine  as 
to  the  result,  even  if  I  accomplished  this  ob- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  13 

ject,  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of  employing 
myself  very  diligently  for  trifling  profits,  and 
those  who  are  in  easy  circumstances  cannot 
form  an  adequate  idea  of  the  lively  satisfac- 
tion  I  felt,  when  I  could  procure  any  work 
by  which  I  could  earn  a  few  shillings.  This 
kind  of  enjoyment,  which  Providence  has 
given  to  the  poor,  appears  intended  to  soften 
the  many  difficulties  in  their  situation. 

I  was  sensible,  that,  in  printing  my  manu- 
script, I  had  various  obstacles  to  encounter. 
It  was  difficult  to  procure  proper  materials 
for  the  work  in  my  sequestered  abode.  I  felt 
that  my  ignorance  of  the  world,  and  little 
acquaintance  with  business,  would  put  me  in 
the  power  of  every  printer  to  whom  I  might 
apply.  I,  however,  resumed  my  compilation 
on  an  enlarged  scale,  which  included  a  few 
of  the  reasons  which  the  various  denomina- 
tions give  in  defence  of  their  different  reli- 
gious systems.  Stimulated  by  an  ardent 
curiosity,  I  entered  into  the  vast  field  of 
religious  controversy,  for  which  my  early 
reading  had  ill  prepared  me.  I  perused  all 
the  controversial  works  I  could  possibly  obtain 
2 


14  LIFE    OF 

with  the  utmost  attention,  in  order  to  abridge 
what  appeared  to  me  the  most  plausible  ar- 
guments for  every  denomination.  As  I  read 
controversy  with  a  mind  naturally  wanting 
in  firmness  and  decision,  and  without  that 
pertinacity  which  blunts  the  force  of  argu- 
ments which  are  opposed  to  the  tenets  we 
have  once  imbibed,  I  suffered  extremely  from 
mental  indecision,  while  perusing  the  various 
and  contradictory  arguments  adduced  by  men 
of  piety  and  learning  in  defence  of  their  re- 
spective religious  systems.  Sometimes  my 
mind  was  so  strongly  excited,  that  extreme 
feeling  obliged  me  for  a  time  to  lay  aside  my 
employment.  Notwithstanding  it  required 
much  reading  to  perform  my  task,  the  pain- 
ful feelings  I  suffered  while  preparing  my 
work  for  the  press  far  outweighed  all  the 
other  labor.  Reading  much  religious  con- 
troversy must  be  extremely  trying  to  a  female, 
whose  mind,  instead  of  being  strengthened 
by  those  studies  which  exercise  the  judg- 
ment, and  give  stability  to  the  character,  is 
debilitated  by  reading  romances  and  novels, 
which  are  addressed  to  the  fancy  and  imagi- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  15 

nation,  and  are  calculated  to  heighten  the 
feelings. 

After  my  View  of  Religions  was  pre- 
pared for  the  press,  the  difficulty  still  remain- 
ed of  finding  any  printer  willing  and  able  to 
print  it  without  money  immediately  paid. 
But  at  length,  after  various  perplexities,  this 
compilation  was  put  to  the  press  in  1784. 
The  profit  to  myself  was  very  small ;  for,  as 
it  might  well  have  been  expected  from  my 
father's  inexperience  in  the  business  of  book 
making,  he  was  completely  duped  by  the 
printer,  in  making  the  bargain.  After  being 
at  the  trouble  of  procuring  upwards  of  four 
hundred  subscribers,  all  the  compensation  I 
Was  able  to  obtain,  was  only  fifty  books  ;  and 
1  was  obliged  to  find  a  sale  for  them,  after 
the  printer,  (whose  name,  out  of  respect  to 
his  descendants,  I  omit  to  mention,)  had  re- 
ceived all  the  subscription  money.  As  my 
books  sold  very  well,  the  printer  must  have 
made  something  handsome  by  the  publica- 
tion. 

The  effect  of  reading  so  much  reli- 
gious controversy,  which  had  been  very 


16  LIFE    OF 

trying  to  my  mind,  was  extremely  prejudicial 
to  my  health,  and  introduced  a  train  of  the 
most  painful  nervous  complaints.  I  was  at 
length  brought  so  low,  that  the  physician  who 
attended  me  supposed  I  was  in  a  decline. 
But  after  a  tedious  interval  of  extreme  suffer- 
ing, I  began  gradually  to  recover  ;  and  after- 
wards found  my  complaints  were  increased, 
by  following  the  injudicious  advice  of  the 
physician  who  attended  me.  To  the  skill 
and  attention  of  my  friend  Dr  Mann,  former- 
ly of  Wrentham,  I  owe,  under  Heaven,  the 
preservation  of  my  life  at  this  periods 

Soon  after  I  began  to  recover,  I  received  a 
letter  from  the  printer  of  my  View  of  K&Ji- 
gions,  informing  me  that  he  had  sold  the 
greatest  part  of  the  edition,  and  was  about, 
to  reprint  it;  and  requesting  me  to  inform  him 
if  I  wished  to  make  any  additions  to  my 
work.  As  I  had  the  precaution  to  secure  the 
copy- right,  agreeably  to  the  law  passed  in 
Massachusetts,  1783,  I  returned  a  laconic 
answer,  forbidding  him  to  reprint  it  ;  and 
he  finally  relinquished  the  design. 

The  information,  that  the  first  edition  of 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  17 

my  View  of  Religions  was  sold,  gave  me  the 
idea  of  reprinting  it  for  my  own  benefit. 
But  as  I  was  entirely  destitute  of  pecuniary 
resources,  ignorant  of  ihe  world,  incapable  of 
conducting  business,  and  precluded  from  al- 
most all  intercourse  with  persons  of  literature 
and  information,  and  consequently  destitute 
of  friends  who  were  able  and  willing  to  assist 
me,  the  execution  of  the  plan  was  ex- 
tremely difficult.  Even  the  few  friends  I 
had  gained  at  that  time  supposed  the  disad- 
vantages in  my  situation  too  great  to  encour- 
age my  undertaking.  Instead  of  assisting 
me,  they  considered  my  plan  as  chimerical, 
and  depressed  my  hopes  and  discouraged  my 
exertions. 

While  I  was  struggling  with  embarrass- 
ments and  difficulties,  I  was  involved  in  the 
deepest  affliction  by  the  death  of  the  belov- 
ed sister,  whom  I  mentioned  in  the  preced- 
ing Chapter.  I  then  experienced  the  keen- 
est anguish  the  human  heart  can  feel  in  los- 
ing a  friend. 

Dearer  than  life,  or  aught  below  the  skies, 
The  bright  ideas  and  romantic  schemes 

2* 


18  LIFE    OF 

Of  perfect  love,  and  friendship,  fancy  paints,         ^ 
In  her  I  realized. 

To  describe  the  excess  of  my  grief  on  this 
occasion  would  be  altogether  impossible. 
Those,  only,  who  have  formed  the  highest 
ideas  of  friendship,  and  have  considered  their 
earthly  happiness  as  dependent  upon  the  life 
of  one  beloved  object,  on  whose  judgment 
they  relied,  and  in  whom  they  found  com- 
fort and  support  in  every  difficulty  and  af- 
fliction, can  form  an  adequate  idea  of  what 
I  felt  on  this  occasion ;  which  led  me  to  ex- 
claim, 

And  is  she  dead  !     My  life,  my  all  is  gone. 
The  world's  a  desert.     Nothing  now  on  earth 
Can  yield  me  joy,  or  comfort. 

'    1 

The  death  of  my  beloved  sister  made  me 
feel  almost  alone  in  the  wTorld.  Our  joys 
and  sorrows,  and  all  our  interests  wTere  so 
closely  blended,  that  I  nearly  identified  her 
existence  with  my  own.  Everything  ap- 
peared gloomy  in  my  situation.  My  health 
was  feeble  ;  I  was  entirely  destitute  of  prop- 
erty ;  my  father's  circumstances  were  very 
low ;  and  I  had  no  other  relation  or  friend 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  19 

from  whom  I  might  expect  to  derive  assis- 
tance. But  notwithstanding  all  the  difficul- 
ties in  my  situation,  I  determined  to  use  every 
possible  exertion  to  help  myself;  considering 
that,  if  I  was  unsucessful  in  attempting  to 
extricate  myself  from  poverty,  my  efforts 
would  awaken  the  activity  of  my  mind,  and 
preserve  me  from  sinking  under  the  weight 
jof  affliction  I  sustained  in  losing  the  best  of 
sisters.^  It  was,  perhaps,  a  happy  circum- 
stance, that  necessity  stimulated  me  to  ex- 
ertion in  this  most  gloomy  period  of  my  ex- 
istence. 

After  I  began  to  prepare  the  additions  to 
my  View  of  Religions,  IjTound  it  required  a 
great  effort  to  detach  my  rnind  fromjhe  re- 
collection of  past  sufferings,  and  force  my- 
self to  that  mental  exertion  which  is  natur- 
ally so  congenial  to  my  mind..  At  length, 
however,  I  completed  the  task  of  preparing 
my  work  for  the  press.  I  had  previously, 
in  1790,  sent  a  petition  to  Congress,  which 
was  presented  by  the  late  Fisher  Ames, 
Esq.  for  a  general  law  to  be  passed,  to 
secure  to  authors  the  copy-right  of  their  pub- 


20  LIFE    OF 

lications.  I  now  applied  to  a  large  number 
of  printers  to  know  on  what  terms  they 
would  publish  my  work.  But,  though  I 
wrote  nearly  the  same  letter  to  all,  consist- 
ing of  a  few  direct  questions,  their  answers 
were  generally  various,  prolix,  and  ambig- 
uous. v 

I  at  length  concluded  to  accept  the  terms 
of  one  of  the  printers  to  whom  I  applied, 
who  offered  me  one  hundred  dollars  in  books, 
for  an  edition  of  one  thousand  copies.  When 
I  went  to  Boston  for  this  purpose,  a  friend 
of  mine  introduced  me  to  the  Rev.  Mr  Free- 
man, whom  I  had  only  once  before  seen  : 
but  I  was  well  apprised  of  his  benevolent 
character,  which  I  found  more  than  realized 
the  ideas  which  I  had  formed  of  it  from  re- 
port. I  shall  ever  recollect  the  generous  in- 
terest he  took  in  my  affairs,  with  the  most 
lively  gratitude.  Jrte  removed  my  perplex- 
ity, by  transacting  the  business  with  the 
printer.  By  his  advice,  a1  subscription  pa- 
per was  published  ;  and  I  s6on  found  the  ben- 
efit of  his  patronage,  in!  procuring  a  large 
number  of  subscribers,  and  concluding  an 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  21 

advantageous  bargain  for  me  with  Mr  Fol- 
som,  the  printer.  The  second  edition  was 
published  in  1791;  and  the  emolument  I  de- 
rived from  it  not  only  placed  me  in  a  com- 
fortable situation,  but  enabled  me  to  pay  the 
debts  I  had  contracted  during  mine  and  my 
sister's  illness,  and  to  put  out  a  small  sum 
upon  interest. 


22  LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER    III. 

ENCOURAGED  and  animated  bv  this  suc- 
cess, I  soon  formed  the  design  of  engaging 
in  another  publication,  and  set  myself  to 
choose  a  subject.  It  was  poverty,  not  am- 
bition, or  vanity,  that  first  induced  me  to 
become  an  author,  or  rather  a  compiler.  But 
I  now  formed  the  flattering  idea,  that  I  might 
not  only  help  myself,  but  benefit  the  public. 
With  this  view,  I  engaged  in  writing  a  Sum- 
mary History  of  New  England.  I  selected 
this  subject,  rather  for  public  utility,  than  for 
my  own  gratification.  |My  object  was  to 
render  my  compilation  useful  to  those  in 
early  life,  who  had  not  time  or  opportunity 
to  peruse  the  large  mass  of  materials,  which, 
previously  to  my  compilation,  lay  scattered 
in  many  publications.  I  knew  the  work 
would  require  much  reading  upon  dry  sub- 
jects, such  as  ancient  news  prints,  state  pa- 
pers, &c.  But  I  wrote  for  a  bare  subsis- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  23 

tence,  and  never  wished  to  gain  anything 
from  the  public  which  I  had  not  at  least 
earned  by  laborious  investigation.  I  also 
considered,  that  attention  to  such  an  antipo- 
etical  subject  would  have  a  tendency  to  keep 
my  mind  in  a  more  healthy  state,  than  the  pe- 
rusal of  works  which  are  calculated  to  excite 
the  feelings.  I  therefore  resolved  to  fix  my 
attention  by  investigating  simple  facts,  and 
by  relinquishing  to  a  great  extent  the  reading 
works  of  taste  and  imagination. 

When  I  compiled  this  work,  there  was  not  J 
any  history  of  New  England  extant,  except 
Mather's  Magnalia,  and  Neale's  History; 
and  these  extended  only  to  an  early  period  in 
the  annals  of  our  country.  If  there  had  been 
only  one  work,  which  reached  to  the  accep- 
tance of  the  Federal  constitution,  my  task 
had  been  far  less  laborious.  There  was  no 
authentic  account  of  Rhode  Island,  except 
that  of  Callender's.  This  induced  me  to 
spend  some  time  in  Providence,  in  order  to 
examine  the  Records  in  the  Secretary's  office. 
The  perusal  of  old  manuscripts,  which  were 
damaged  by  time,  was  painful  to  my  eyes ; 


24  LIFE    OF 

but  as  they  were  naturally  strong,  I  did  not 
for  some  time  perceive  the  injury  I  suffered 
from  the  task. 

After  I  returned  from  Providence,  I  attend- 
ed to  my  compilation  with  unremitting  dili- 
gence, and  hoped  not  only  to  obtain  a  tem- 
porary support,  but  to  make  a  small  provis- 
ion for  future  subsistence.  Stimulated  by 
these  sanguine  views,  I  wrote  early  and  late 
during  one  winter,  and  expected  to  put  my 
work  to  the  press  the  ensuing  spring.  But 
how  vain  were  all  these  pleasing  anticipa- 
tions !  A  new  misfortune  arrested  my  pro- 
gress, and  made  me  feel  my  entire  depen- 
dence upon  divine  Providence.  I  found  my 
sight  suddenly  fail  to  that  degree,  that  I  was 
obliged  to  lay  aside  reading,  writing,  and  eve- 
ry employment  which  required  the  use  of  my 
eyes.  In  this  distressed  situation,  I  consult- 
ed a  number  of  physicians ;  and  their  prescrip- 
tions rather  increased,  than  diminished  my 
complaints.  The  gloomy  apprehension  of 
being  totally  deprived  of  my  sight  was  dis- 
tressing beyond  description.  I  not  only 
anticipated  the  misfortune  of  being  obliged 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  25 

forever  to  relinquish  those  literary  pursuits 
which  had  constituted  so  much  of  my  enjoy- 
ment during  life,  and  was  at  this  time  my 
only  resource  for  a  subsistence,  but  as  I  had 
from  my  earliest  years  been  an  enthusiastic 
admirer  of  the  beauties  of  nature,  I  felt  the 
most  painful  sensation  in  reflecting  that  the 
time  might  arrive,  when 

« With  the  year 

Seasons  return,  but  not  to  me  return 
Day,  or  the  sweet  approach  of  eve  or  morn, 
Or  sight  of  vernal  bloom,  or  summer  rose. ' 

At  length,  by  the  advice  of  a  respectable 
friend,  I  applied  to  Dr  Jeffries  ;  and  by  assid- 
uously following  his  prescriptions  for  about 
two  years,  I  partially  recovered  my  sight. 
For  the  encouragement  of  those  who  are 
troubled  with  similar  complaints,  I  would 
mention,  that  when  I  first  consulted  the  doc- 
tor, he  had  not  any  expectation  my  eyes  would 
recover  so  as  to  enable  me  to  make  the  use 
of  them  I  have  since  done.  But  by  apply- 
ing laudanum  and  sea  water  seyeral  times  in 
the  course  of  the  day,  for  two  years,  I  re- 
covered so  far  as  to  resume  my  studies  ;  and 
3 


. 


26  LIFE    OF 

by  employing  an  amanuensis  to  assist  me  in 
transcribing  my  manuscript,  I  was  enabled  to 
print  the  work  in  1 799.  Previously  to  put- 
ting the  copy  to  the  press,  I  consulted  all  the 
living  authors,  and  showed  them  the  use  I 
had  made  of  their  works  in  my  compilation, 
and  they  did  not  make  any  objection.  As 
my  eyes  were  still  weak,  I  could  not  bestow 
the  same  attention  in  condensing  the  last 
part  of  my  History,  as  the  first ;  and  conse- 
quently the  History  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution was  much  more  prolix  than  I  originally 
intended.  In  giving  an  account  of  the  war, 
my  ignorance  of  military  terms  rendered  it 
necessary  to  transcribe  more  from  Dr  Ram- 
say's History,  than  I  had  done  in  any  other 
part  of  the  work.  I  therefore  wrote  an  apol- 
ogy to  the  doctor,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
receiving  in  return  a  very  interesting  letter  x 
from  Mrs  Ramsay,  expressing  her  approba- 
tion of  my  work,  and  inclosing  a  bill  of  ten 
dollars.  Before  my  eyes  failed,  I  had  sent 
out  a  subscription  paper ;  but  afterward,  the 
idea  that  I  never  should  be  able  to  complete 
the  compilation,  induced  me  to  drop  it ;  and 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  27 

I  was  obliged  to  publish  the  work  almost 
entirely  at  my  o\vn  expense.  The  printers 
were  in  low  circumstances,  and  required  pay- 
ment before  I  could  dispose  of  the  books. 
I  was  therefore  obliged  to  borrow  a  sum  of 
money  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  work, 
which,  as  it  was  printed  on  very  good  paper, 
were  large,  and  I  derived  but  little  profit 
from  my  labor. 

My  next  publication  was  the  third  edition 
of  my  View  of  Religions,  to  which  I  made 
'the  addition  of  a  hundred  pages.  The 
Rev.  Mr  Freeman,  who  continued  his  kind 
attentions,  made  the  bargain  for  me  with  the 
printer,  by  which  I  was  entitled  to  receive 
five  hundred  dollars  in  yearly  payments,  for 
an  edition  of  two  thousand  copies.  This 
relieved  me  from  the  embarrassments  in 
which  I  was  involved  by  printing  my  History 
of  New  England  at  my  own  expense.  As 
my  eyes  still  continued  too  weak  to  engage 
in  any  new  laborious  work,  I  determined  to 
wait  till  a  large  part  of  my  History  of  New 
England  was  sold  ;  and  then,  if  my  life  con- 
tinued, to  abridge  it  for  the  use  of  schools. 


28  LIFE    OF 

\ 

In  the  meantime,  however, !  I  set  about 
writing  a  concise  View  of  the  Christian  Re- 
ligion, selected  from  the  writings  of  eminent 
laymen.  I  wrote  with  difficulty,  as  my  eyes 
were  still  very  weak  ;  but  I  wished  to  exert 
myself  as  much  as  possible  to  be  useful,  and  to 
gain  a  subsistence.  Though  attention  to  reli- 
gious controversy  had  led  me  to  feel  undecid- 
ed on  some  disputed  points,  of  which  perhaps 
Christians  of  equal  piety  form  different  opin- 
ions, my  conviction  of  the  truth  of  divine  rev- 
elation, instead  of  being  weakened  by  all  my 
researches,  was  strengthened  and  confirmed  ; 
and  I  wished  to  make  a  public  declaration  of 
my  sentiments  on  this  important  subject.  I 
found  it  difficult  to  procure  proper  materials 
for  the  work,  as  I  was  utterly  unable  to  pur- 
chase books.  A  considerable  part  of  this 
compilation,  as  well  as  the  additions  to  the 
third  edition  of  my  View  of  Religions,  was 
WTitten  in  booksellers'  shops.  I  went  to 
make  visits  in  Boston,  in  order  to  consult 
books  in  this  way,  which  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  buy,  or  borrow.  1  desire,  however, 
to  recognise  with  gratitude  the  attention  of 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  29 

my  kind  father,  who  took  pains  that  I  should 
Jiave  the  benefit  of  all  books  which  he  could 
procure,  and  assisted  me  greatly  in  disposing 
of  my  works.  When  I  had  completed  my 
compilation,  I  found  the  printers  and  book- 
sellers unwilling  to  purchase  the  copy,  be- 
cause  much  had  been  written  on  the  subject, 
and  these  publications  were  unsaleable.  At 
length,  in  1 804, 1  agreed  with  a  printer  to  ex- 
ecute the  work,  upon  the  small  consideration 
of  receiving  only  one  hundred  dollars  in 
books. 

The  tenor  of  my  life  at  this  time  was  very 
monotonous.  It  was  enlivened,  however,  by 
gleams  of  happiness,  from  the  society  of  a 
few  friends,  and  the  pleasure  I  derived  from 
literary  pursuits ;  and,  by  my  convictions  of 
the  truth  of  that  religion,  to  the  examination 
of  which  I  had  devoted  so  much  of  my  time. 
My  eyes  still  continued  very  weak,  and  I 
wrote  under  the  apprehension  of  being  reduced 
to  a  state  that  would  preclude  all  application 
to  study.  A  considerable  part  of  my  Histo- 
ry of  New  England  being  now  disposed  of, 
my  only  resource  appeared  to  be  to  abridge 
3* 


30  LIFE    OF 

that  work  for  the  use  of  schools.  The  pro- 
fit I  hoped  to  derive  from  this  compilation 
seemed  to  me  to  constitute  all  I  had  to  de- 
pend upon  in  future,  if  my  life  should  be 
spared.  While  I  entertained  these  hopes,  in 
which  I  was  made  sanguine  by  my  know- 
ledge of  the  success  with  which  books  for 
schools  had  been  printed,  can  it  be  a  subject 
of  blame,  or  reproach,  to  a  person  in  my 
situation,  that  I  felt  extremely  grieved,  and 
hurt,  when  I  found  my  design  anticipated  by 
a  reverend  gentleman,  whose  calling,  and  in- 
defatigable industry,  are  highly  respectable  ? 
The  difference  between  us  was  left  to  re- 
ferees, who  sustained  a  high  reputation  for 
ability,  and  sound  judgment,  extensive  infor- 
mation, and  moral  excellence.  I  was  satis- 
fied with  their  decision.  But  I  was  reduced 
to  the  painful  task  of  writing  on  the  subject ; 
for,  though  I  took  this  measure  with  extreme 
reluctance,  my  opponent  left  me  no  other 
alternative.  I  sincerely  hope  the  painful 
affair  may  never  be  recalled  to  his  prejudice. 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  31 


CHAPTER  IV. 


NOTWITHSTANDING  the  little  profit,  and  va- 
rious discouragements  I  had  experienced  in 
writing  for  the  press,  as  I  was  entirely  de- 
pendent upon  my  own  exertions  for  a  sup- 
port, I  was  resolved  to  persevere.  1  had 
now  acquired  a  number  of  valuable  friends, 
to  whose  generous  exertions  in  my  favor  I 
was  deeply  indebted.  By  several  of  them, 
I  was  enabled  to  put  my  abridgment  of  the 
History  of  New  England  to  the  press.  I  was 
however  unfortunate  in  this,  as  well  as  my 
other  compilations.  The  printer  failed  while 
it  was  in  the  press,  which  deprived  me  of 
the  profit  I  expected  to  derive  from  it.  Two 
years  afterwards,  I  published  a  new  edition. 
A  similar  misfortune  befel  me  in  this  second 
attempt  to  avail  myself  of  my  labors. 

But  though  my  productions  were  far  from 
being  profitable,  and  I  had  frequent   inter- 


32  LIFE    OF 

ruptions  in  my  studies  from  ill  health,  and 
bad  eyes,  I  still  had  my  share  of  enjoyment. 
I  hoped  my  works  might  be  useful,  and  I 
was  highly  gratified  .by  their  candid  recep- 
tion by  the  public. 

I  next  chose  a  subject  in  which  I  thought 
it  probable  that  I  should  not  meet  with  any 
interference.  1  formed  the  design  of  wri- 
ting the  History  of  the  Jews,  though  I  was 
sensible  that  it  would  require  much  reading, 
and  that  I  must  wander  through  a  dreary 
wilderness,  unenlivened  by  one  spot  of  ver- 
dure. My  curiosity  was  strongly  excited, 
and  I  determined  to  persevere  in  my  at- 
tempt to  investigate  the  fate  of  this  won- 
derful people.  I  began  the  introduction 
with  their  state  under  the  Persian  monar- 
chy, after  their  restoration  from  the  Baby- 
lonish captivity.  The  standard  works  for 
this  History  were  Josephus,  and  Basnage, 
the  latter  of  whom  brings  his  narrative  down 
only  to  the  19th  century.  After  this  pe- 
riod, I  was  obliged  to  compile  from  desultory 
publications  and  manuscripts.  I  had  at  this 
time  the  privilege  of  corresponding  with  the 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  33 

celebrated  Gregoire,  who  had  attained 
great  celebrity  for  the  conspicuous  part  he 
acted  during  the  French  Revolution,  and  ex- 
erted all  his  energy  in  the  first  constitu- 
tional assembly  to  procure  the  rights  of  cit- 
izens for  the  Jews.  He  had  the  goodness 
to  send  me  some  writings  in  their  favor, 
which  increased  the  interest  I  felt  in  this 
oppressed  people.  •  % 

Previously  to  concluding  this  gloomy  detail 
of  the  difficulties  I  encountered,  while  wri- 
ting for  the  press,  I  would  first  notice,  that 
I  was  obliged  to  exert  myself  to  the  utmost 
to  overcome  my  natural  timidity,  and  ac- 
commodate myself  to  my  situation.  After 
the  age  and  infirmities  of  my  father  pre- 
vented him  from  assisting  me,  as  he  had 
formerly  done,  in  selling  and  exchanging 
the  copies  of  my  work,  I  was  necessitated  to 
exert  myself  in  doing  business  out  of  the 
female  line,  which  exposed  me  to  public 
notice.  And  as  I  could  not  but  be  sensible 
that  my  manners  were  remarkably  awk- 
ward, this  consciousness,  joined  with  my  ig- 
norance of  trie  established  rules  of  proprie- 


34  LIFE    OF 

ty,  rendered  me  tremblingly  apprehensive 
of  exposing  myself  to  ridicule.  These  un- 
pleasant feelings,  however,  in  time  abated. 
In  order  to  meet  this  trial,  I  considered, 
that  what  is  right  and  necessary  in  the  sit- 
uation in  which  Providence  has  placed  me, 
cannot  be  really  improper  ;  and  though  my 
acting  upon  this  principle  may  have  exposed 
me  to  the  censure,  or  ridicule  of  those,  whose 
ideas  upon  the  subject  are  derived  from  the 
varying  modes  of  fashion,  and  not  from  the 
unchanging  laws  of  moral  rectitude,  it  saved 
me  from  a  feeling  which  would  have  been 
infinitely  more  painful,  that  of  self-reproach. 
My  objects  were,  to  obtain  the  approbation 
of  my  own  heart,  and  the  esteem  of  a  few 
fri  ends  whose  opinion  I  most  highly  prized, 
and  I  was  comparatively  indifferent  to  the 
censure  or  ridicule  of  the  world  in  general. 
In  the  life  of  Mrs  Charlotte  Smith  it  is 
pertly  remarked,  that  the  '  penalties  and 
discouragements  attending  authors  in  gen- 
eral fall  upon  woman  with  double  weight- 
\/  To  the  curiosity  of  the  idle,  and  the  envy 
of  the  malicious,  their  sex  affords  a  pecu- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  35 

liar  excitement.  Arraigned  not  merely  as 
writers,  but  as  women,  their  characters,  their 
conduct,  and  even  their  personal  endow- 
ments, become  the  object  of  severe  inquisi- 
tion. From  the  common  allowances  claimed 
bj  the  species,  literary  women  appear  only 
to  be  exempted.' 

Though  I  have  been  too  insignificant,  and 
treated  with  too  much  candor,  fully  to  real- 
ize the  above  remarks,  yet  I  have  been  in 
a  situation  deeply  to  feel  the  trials  which  at- 
tend literary  pursuits.  At  length  I  saw  old 
age  approaching,  without  any  provision  for 
it,  when  if  my  life  was  spared,  I  should  be 
incapable  of  exerting  myself ;  and  my  mind 
was  at  times  depressed  by  this  gloomy  pros- 
pect. 


36  LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER   V, 

WHILE  I  was  compiling  my  History  of  the 
Jews,  I  boarded  in  Dedham.  I  was  here 
honored  with  the  friendship,  and  received 
the  kind  offices  of  Mr  Dowse,  his  lady,  and 
her  sister,*  and  more  pecuniary  favors  than  I 
have  ever  experienced  fron>  any  other  indi- 
viduals. Whenever  I  visited  this  happy 
family,  I  was  received  with  the  utmost  cor- 
diality ;  and  I  desire  publicly  to  express  my 
grateful  sense  of  their  goodness. 

While  writing  my  History,  my  eyes,  which, 
since  I  had  first  injured  them,  have  been 
occasionally  troublesome,  failed  to  that  de- 
gree, that  I  was  induced  again  to  go  to  Boston 
to  consult  Dr  Jeffries,  in  the  hope,  that,  by 
attending  to  his  directions,  I  might  finish  my 

*Mrs  Shaw,  who  allowed  Miss  Adams  one  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year,  for  twentyfive  years,  paid  to  her  quarterly,  by 
Josiah  Quincy,  Esq. 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  37 

work.  During  this  visit  at  Boston,  I  receiv- 
ed the  unexpected  intelligence,  that  a  num- 
ber of  benevolent  gentlemen  had  settled  ail 
annuity  upon  me,  to  relieve  me  from  the 
embarrassments  I  had  hitherto  suffered. 
The  Hon.  Josiah  Quincy,  Stephen  Higgin- 
son,  Esq.  and  William  Shaw,  Esq.  were  some 
of  its  first  promoters.  This  providential 
interference  excited  my  most  lively  gratitude 
to  my  generous  benefactors,  and  I  hope  I 
sensibly  felt  my  deep  obligation  to  the  source 
of  all  good.. 

My  generous  friends  could  hardly  appre- 
ciate the  extent  of  the  benefit  they  conferred 
upon  me.  I  had  not  been  able  to  make  any 
provision  for  my  declining  years,  and  had  not 
a  place  on  earth  which  I  could  call  my  home. 
My  spirits  were  depressed  by  my  destitute 
circumstances,  and  I  am  persuaded  that  un- 
der Providence,  the  generosity  of  my  friends 
was  the  means  of  prolonging  my  life. 

I  had  now  attained  a  condition  more  eligi- 
ble than  my  most  sanguine  wishes  could  ever 
have  led  me  to  anticipate.  If  in  early  life 
I  could  have  enjoyed  the  literary  advantages 
4 


38  LIFE    OF 

I  now  possessed,  I  should  have  thought  it 
the  height  of  earthly  happiness.  But  I  was 
now  too  far  advanced  in  life  to  profit  by  the 
advantages  I  had  gained.  However,  I  was 
grateful,  and  happy.  My  friend  William 
Shaw,  Esq.  gave  me  the  liberty  of  frequent- 
ing the  Atheneum.  Amidst  that  large  and 
valuable  collection  of  books,  I  found  an  in- 
exhaustible source  of  information  and  enter- 
tainment; and  among  other  advantages,  I 
found  a  few  literary  friends,  in  whose  conver- 
sation I  enjoyed  '  the  feast  of  reason  and 
the  flow  of  soul.'  Among  the  many  bless- 
ings I  was  favored  with,  I  shall  ever  highly 
appreciate  the  acquaintance  and  friendship  of 
the  late  Rev.  Mr  Buckminster,  in  whom  I 
contemplated  with  admiration  the  rare  union 
of  intellectual,  moral,  and  religious  excellence; 
of  a  powerful  mind  with  extensive  informa- 
tion, and  a  feeling  heart  enlivened  by  devo- 
tion. He  was  admired  for  his  distinguished 
abilities  and  learning  by  all  who  knew  him ; 
but  the  peculiar  traits  of  benevolence,  noble- 
ness of  mind,  sincerity  and  sweetness  of 
temper,  which  adorned  his  character,  could 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  39 

only  be  duly  appreciated  by  those  who  were 
honored  with  his  friendship. 

Mr  Buckminster  was  so  kind  as  to  give 
me  the  use  of  his  large  and  valuable  library, 
which  was  of  great  advantage  to  me  in  com- 
piling my  History  of  the  Jews.  In  my  ef- 
forts to  complete  the  work,  I  was  encourag- 
ed and  animated  by  his  participating  in  the 
interest  I  felt  in  this  extraordinary  people. 
Though  entering  into  the  details  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  the  persecuted  Jewish  Nation,  yet 
the  enthusiasm  Mr  Buckminster  inspired, 
and  the  pleasure  of  conversing  with  him 
upon  a  subject  with  which  he  was  intimately 
acquainted,  rendered  the  time  I  was  writing 
my  History  one  of  the  happiest  periods  of 
my  life.  I  completed  my  work  in  1812,  a 
few  months  before  his  death. 

In  the  year  1812  I  sustained  a  severe  af- 
fliction, by  the  sudden  death  of*  Mr  Buck- 
minster. Amidst  the  large  number  who 
lamented  his  death,  I  believe  there  was  none 
(except  his  near  relations)  who  felt  more  dis- 
tressed than  myself.  I  desire,  however,  to  be 
grateful  to  divine  Providence  for  the  privi- 
lege of  his  acquaintance  and  friendship. 


40  LIFE    OF 

While  my  feelings  were  deeply  suscepti- 
ble from  the  recent  wound  they  had  received 
by  the  death  of  Mr  Buckminster,  I  went  to 
Medfield  to  visit  my  aged  father,  with  the 
hope  that  I  might  do  something  to  adminis- 
ter to  his  comfort,  and  in  this  way  soothe  my 
own  grief.  But  while  I  was  with  him,  he 
was  seized  with  a  complaint  which  put  a 
period  to  his  life.  Though  from  his  age, 
and  infirmities,  I  had  been  often  led  to  an- 
ticipate this  event,  I  found  it  very  trying 
when  I  actually  realized  it.  He  had  been  a 
very  kind  parent  to  me,  and  though  he  could 
not  bestow  any  property  upon  me,  he  was 
very  solicitous  to  aid  me  as  far  as  he  could. 
He  was  a  great  assistant  to  me  both  in  pro- 
curing books,  and  in  disposing  of  my  works. 
During  the  last  years  of  his  life,  he  was  as- 
siduously engaged  in  studying  the  sacred 
Scriptures^  with  the  assistance  of  all  the 
commentaries  he  could  procure.  In  the  fune- 
ral sermon  preached  upon  his  death,  the  Rev. 
Dr  Prentiss  observes,  '  He  was  ever  strongly 
attached  to  the  society  of  literary  and  se- 
rious people,  particularly  of  the  clergy,  with 
a  number  of  whom  he  ke.pt  up  a  friendly  in*  ' 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  41 

tercourse.     There  is  reason  to  believe,  that  ^> 
by  his  exertions  for  many  years  he  contribu-  / 
ted  in  no  small  degree   to  the  diffusion  off 
knowledge  and  piety,  and  to  the   advance- 
ment of  the  cause  of   Christ.'     My  father's^ 
love  of  books  continued  till  the  last.     He 
read,  and  heard  reading,  on  the  day  on  which  \ 
he  expired.     My  residence   in  Boston  en-      \ 
abled  me  to  procure  books   for  his  perusal,       j 
and  it  afforded  me  great  pleasure  to  be  thus 
permitted  to  gratify  my  honored  parent. 

When,  after  the  death  of  my  father,  I 
returned  to  Boston,  my  mind  was  depressed 
with  my  recent  losses.  But  I  was  sensible 
that  I  was  still  favored  with  many  inestima- 
ble privileges.  Mr  Buckminster  had  been 
so  kind  as  to  introduce  me  to  a  number  of 
his  acquaintances,  who  treated  me  with  that 
genuine  kindness  which  is  the  essence  of 
true  politeness. 

Among   the   number   of  those    excellent 
friends,  to  whom  Mr   Buckminster  was  so 
kind  as  to  introduce  me,  I  would  particular- 
ly recognise  Mrs  Dearborn,  and  Mrs  Win- 
4*      .. 


42  LIFE    OP 

throp,  who  shone  in  the  circles  of  polished 
life,  and  adorned  their  eminent  stations  by 
their  engaging  manners,  and  highly  cultiva- 
ted minds  ;  and  still  more,  by  their  Christian 
virtues.  They  were  blessings  to  those 
around  them  ;  and  for  a  course  of  years  fa- 
vored me  with  their  attention,  and  kind  offi- 
ces. When  they  were  removed  by  death  to  a 
higher  state  of  existence,  I  deeply  mourn- 
ed the  heavy  and  irreparable  loss  I  sustained. 

While  deeply  indebted  to  the  bounty  of 
my  dear  and  honored  friends,  I  wished  to 
pursue  my  literary  occupations  with  as  much 
diligence  as  my  health  would  permit.  But  in 
the  decline  of  life,  I  was  so  far  debilitated  by 
repeated  fevers,  at  small  intervals  from  each 
other,  that  I  was  unable  to  write  for  the 
press.  At  length,  I  so  far  recovered,  as  to 
resume  a  work  I  had  formerly  begun,  upon 
the  New  Testament,  which  I  designed  to  be 
much  larger  than  it  is;  but  my  advanced  age 
induced  me  only  to  publish  a  little  book,  en- 
titled, '  Letters  on  the  Gospels,'  which  has 
passed  through  two  editions. 

I   have  already  mentioned  ^he  perplexity 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  43 

and  embarrassment  of  my  mind,  while  wri- 
ting my  View  of  Religions.  After  remov- 
ing to  Boston,  and  residing  in  that  city  while 
the  disputes  upon  Unitarian  sentiments 
were  warmly  agitated,  I  read  all  that  came 
in  my  way  upon  both  sides  of  the  question  ; 
and  carefully  examined  the  New  Testament, 
with,  I  think,  a  sincere  and  ardent  desire  to 
know  the  truth.  I  deeply  felt  the  difficul- 
ties upon  both  sides  of  the  question ;  yet 
prevailingly  give  the  preference  to  that  class 
of  Unitarians,  who  adopt  the  highest  idea  of 
the  greatness  and  dignity  of  the  Son  of  God. 
I  never  arrived  to  that  degree  of  decision 
that  some  have  attained  on  that  subject. 
In  this,  and  every  other  disputable  sub- 
j  ect,  I  would  adopt  the  following  lines ; 

If  I  am  right,  thy  grace  impart 

Still  in  the  right  to  stay  ; 
If  I  am  wrong,  O  teach  my  heart, 

To  find  the  better  way. 


NOTICES 

IN    CONTINUATION 
BY    A  FRIEND. 


NOTICES. 


THOSE  who  have  been  favored  with  a 
personal  knowledge  of  the  Author  of  the 
short  Memoir  contained  in  this  book,  will 
read  it  with  the  deepest  interest ;  and  per- 
haps to  them  it  may  seem  almost  superflu- 
ous to  say  more  of  her.  But  Miss  Adams's 
works  have  circulated  far  beyond  the  sphere 
in  which  she  moved,  and  there  are  many 
who  are  desirous  of  knowing  her,  as  she  was 
appreciated  by  others,  and  not  by  her  own 
estimate.  Such  would  be  poorly  satisfied 
with  the  short  sketch  she  has  given  of  her- 
self, though  her  friends  must  ever  value  it  as 
a  parting  legacy. 

The  *  timidity  of  early  years '  followed 
Miss  Adams  through  life  ;  and,  even  when 
surrounded  by  intimate  friends,  it  never 


48  LIFE    OF 

wholly  forsook  her.  It  was  a  sensitiveness 
that  sprung  from  deep  feeling,  and  a  diffi- 
dence that  was  the  result  of  genuine  hu- 
mility. This  often  operated  unfavorably 
upon  her  manners,  and  produced  an  awkward- 
ness, of  which  she  was  painfully  conscious. 
But  there  were  times  w-hen  the  warmth  of 
her  heart,  and  the  cultivation  of  her  mind, 
gave  an  enthusiasm  and  eloquence  to  her 
language,  that  astonished  those  who  listened 
to  her.  At  such  times,  her  countenance  lost 
its  usual  calm  placidity,  and  glowed  with  an 
animation  that  rendered  it  highly  interesting. 
There  was  indeed  a  wonderful  singularity  in 
her  appearance.  In  the  circles  of  polished 
life  to  which  she  was  often  courted,  there 
was  nothing  like  her.  In  the  circles  of  hum- 
ble life,  she  was  equally  unassuming,  and 
equally  peculiar.  No  one  could  see  her, 
without  feeling  that  she  was  not  of  this 
world.  It  is  possible  that  part  of  this  timid- 
ity might  have  arisen  from  the  seclusion  of 
early  years.  But  it  is  certain,  that  no  culture, 
or  discipline,  could  have  formed  her  man- 
ners to  the  standard  of  easy  and  fashionable 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  49 

life.  She  sometimes  observed,  *  I  know  I 
am  very  awkward  ;  I  never  could  learn  to 
make  a  curtsey.'  But  it  must  not  be  suppos- 
ed that  there  was  in  her  any  want  of  gentle- 
ness, or  propriety.  Her  disinterested  and 
affectionate  disposition  made  her,  in  reality, 
all  that  the  most  calculating  would  desire  to 
appear. 

The  simplicity,  and  often  the  abstracted- 
ness of  Miss  Adams'  manner,  led  many  to  sup- 
pose that  her  talents  were  confined  to  the  sub- 
jects on  which  she  wrote.  Some  considered 
her  as  a  walking  dictionary  of  '  Religious 
Opinions.'  Others  viewed  her  merely  as  an 
4  Abridgment  of  the  History  of  New  Eng- 
land.' And  many  said,  '  if  you  .want  to 
know  Miss  Adams,  you  must  talk  to  her 
about  the  Jews.'  And  this  last  was,  indeed, 
a  subject  that  always  called  forth  the  energy 
of  her  mind.  She  had  faithfully  studied 
their  history,  and  she  venerated  the  antiqui- 
ty of  their  origin.  Her  inquiring  mind  was 
deeply  interested  by  their  *  wonderful  desti- 
nation, peculiar  habits,  and  religious  rites.' 
She  felt  for  them  as  a  suffering  and  persecut- 


50  LIFE    OF 

ed  people  ;  and  she  felt  yet  more,  when  she 
considered  them  as  a  standing  monument  of 
that  religion,  which  she  regarded  as  the 
first  and  best  of  God's  gifts  to  men.  It  was 
the  long  contemplation  of  this  chosen  race 
that  induced  her,  amidst  all  the  obstacles 
that  were  in  her  way,  to  write  their  history. 

It  was  an  arduous  labor.     Yet  her  work  is 
• 

a  proof,  that,  in  this  '  barren  wilderness  she 
found  many  a  spot  of  verdure.'  But  those 
who  viewed  her  merely  in  relation  to  her 
literary  works,  knew  her  but  imperfectly. 
With  her  extreme  simplicity,  there  was  an 
uncommon  depth  of  observation,  and  an  in- 
tuitive knowledge  of  character.  She  was 
often  in  circles  where  her  timidity  kept  her 
almost  wholly  silent,  and  where  she  hardly 
seemed  to  be  even  a  spectator.  But  her 
subsequent  remarks  would  show  how  accu- 
rately she  had  observed,  and  how  nicely  she 
had  discriminated.  In  speaking  of  a  lady 
of  her  acquaintance,  she  said,  '  I  value  and 
admire  her,  but  I  can  never  be  easy  with  her. 
She  is  so  kind,  and  so  condescending,  that  I 
can  see  she  never  forgets  I  am  a  poor  avvk- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  51 

ward  old  woman.'  At  another  time,  when 
deploring  the  loss  of  a  young  lady,  whose 
fine  talents  had  made  her  the  delight  of  her  - 
friends,  '  and  yet,'  she  said,  '  she  died  at  the 
best  time.  Her  powers  were  brilliant,  and 
beautiful,  but  they  were  exhausting  to  her- 
self; and  had  she  lived,  she  would  have 
faded  before  she  reached  her  prime.'  Her 
mind  was  habitually  cheerful,  and  her  cheer- 
fulness was  much  increased  by  her  sensibility 
to  the  works  of  nature.  She  looked  upon 
every  object  with  the  eye  of  a  poet,  and 
forgot  her  infirmities,  and  even  her  diffidence, 
as  she  described  her  emotions.  On  visiting 
her  sister,  who  resided  in  the  country,  after 
having  been  confined  to  her  chamber,  in  the 
city  through  the  winter,  '  it  seemed  to  me,' 
said  she,  '  as  if  the  world  was  just  created.' 
No  one  could  exclaim  with  more  feeling  and 
truth, 

'  T  care  not,  fortune,  what  you  me  deny, 
You  cannot  rob  me  of  free  nature's  grace, 
You  cannot  bar  the  windows  of  the  sky, 
Through  which  Aurora  shows  her  brightening  face.' 

There  is  but  little  doubt,  that,  had  she 


52  LIFE    OF 

given  way  to  the  natural  temperament  of  her 
mind,  which  was  enthusiastic  and  romantic, 
she  might  have  been  a  poet.  But  her  duties, 
and  her  lot,  led  her  into  a  different  path  of 
life.  In  her  youth,  however,  she  occasion- 
ally listened  to  the  inspiration  of  the  muses  ; 
and  though  she  never  set  any  value  on  these 
productions,  they  discover  much  excellent 
thought,  and  a  high  tone  of  feeling. 

The  want  of  early  advantages,  to  which 
Miss  Adams  so  feelingly  alludes  in  her  me- 
moirs, ought  not  to  be  forgotten,  nor  the 
difficulties  through  which  she  struggled. 
Her  attendance  upon  any  school  was  ex- 
tremely uncertain,  and  often  interrupted  by 
her  feeble  health.  Added  to  this,  the  schools 
of  a  country  village  are  not  often  of  the 
highest  class.  Even  the  elementary  parts 
of  education  are  much  neglected  in  them. 
'  I  never,'  said  she, '  was  taught  how  to  hold 
my  pen.' 

There  is  nothing  that  more  strikingly  de- 
notes the  progress  of  literature  in  this  part 
of  the  country,  than  the  attention  which  is 
at  present  paid  to  female  education.  There 


I 

MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  53 

are  few  branches,  if  any,  in  which  boys  are 
instructed,  which  are  not  now  equally  open 
to  girls.  Not  many  years  ago,  however,  the 
test  of  a  good  school  rested  principally  upon 
the  exhibitions  made  of  hand-writing,  spel- 
ling, and  arithmetic.  Grammar,  it  is  true, 
was  professedly  taught,  but  in  a  manner  that 
conveyed  few  ideas  to  the  pupil.  To  get 
the  longest  lessons,  and  to  be  at  the  head  of 
the  class,  constituted  the  best  scholar.  By 
degrees,  parsing,  in  its  simplest  forms,  was 
introduced,  to  aid  the  knowledge  of  gram- 
mar. Composition,  geography  and  history 
followed  ;  and  the  education  of  girls  began 
to  assume  a  more  respectable  standing.  Yet 
even  at  this  period,  our  village  school-mas- 
ter much  resembled  Goldsmith's,  of  whom, 

*  The  village  all  declared  how  much  he  knew  ; 
Twas  certain  he  could  write   and  cipher  too.' 
I 

It  was  at  such  schools  as  these  that  Miss    \ 
Adams  received  her  early  education.    Her  ar- 
dent thirst  for  knowledge,  however,  and  her 
industry  and  perseverance  enabled  her,  in  ma- 
turer  life,  to  make  uncommon  acquirements. 


54  LIFE    OF 

Yet  she  always  felt,  and  regretted,  the 
want  of  more  thorough,  and  systematic  in- 
struction. Her  father  entered  into  trade 
as  a  desperate  resource  from  the  weariness 
of  an  agricultural  life,  for  which  he  had  no 
taste.  He  was  plundered,  and  cheated  by  the 
man,  whom  he  engaged  to  carry  on  his  farm ; 
and  as  he  had  plunged  into  all  the  transac- 
tions of  a  country  trader,  dealing  in  books 
and  drugs,  English  and  West  India  goods, 
through  all  came  vexation  and  disappoint- 
ment, and  a  total  failure  ensued.  A  large 
proportion  of  his  books  were  left  on  his 
hands,  and  afforded  lo  Miss  Adams  great  fa- 
cilities for  reading.  Her  father,  too,  happilj 
for  her,  had  encouraged  in  her  a  taste  con- 
genial to  his  own  ;  and  her  mind  became  cul- 
tivated, and  embued  with  knowledge,  al- 
most without  her  own  consciousness  of  the 
progress  she  was  making.  However  unpro- 
pitious  to  her  were  the  pecuniary  disap- 
pointments of  her  father's  life,  they  seem  to 
have  exerted  a  favorable  influence  on  her 
mind.  Resort  was  had  also,  at  this  time,  to  the 
receiving  of  several  boarders  into  the  family ; 
-  *  ' 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  55 

and  from  these  she  acquired  the  knowledge 
of  Greek  and  Latin.  Of  this  knowledge,  she 
tells  us  she  availed  herself,  for  fitting  three 
young  men  for  College ;  and  for  Mr  P. 
Clark,  one  of  her  pupils,  mentioned  in  her 
memoirs,  she  retained  through  life  the  warm- 
est regard.  He  married  a  friend  of  hers  ; 
and  '  this,'  said  she, '  was  the  only  match  I 
ever  had  any  hand  in  making.'  Of  her 
mother,  she  always  spoke  with  enthusiastic 
reverence  ;  and  though  only  eleven  years  of 
age  when  she  died,  she  retained  a  perfect  re- 
collection of  her.  Mrs  Adams  was  married 
at  fifteen,  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty 
three,  leaving  three  girls  and  two  boys. 
Her  short  life  seems  to  have  been  filled  with 
usefulness  ;  and  the  following  epitaph,  writ- 
ten by  an  Episcopal  clergyman,  who  was  a 
particular  friend,  and  constant  visitor  of  the 
family,  may  still  be  traced  on  her  humble 
grave  stone,  should  any  descendant  of  *  Old 
Mortality'  chance  to  wander  to  the  spot. 

'  Beneath  this  monument  of  love  and  truth, 
»        Rear'd  by  fair  gratitude's  persuasive  call, 
Rest  the  remains  of  innocence,  and  youth  ; 
Esteem'd,  lamented,  and  beloved  by  all. 


56  LIFE    OF 

Fond  of  retirement,  and  of  rural  ease, 
Her  sober  wishes  never  loved  to  stray. 
Heaven  was  her  aim,  her  study,  how  to  please, 
And  carefully  improve  each  fleeting  day  ; 
To  worth,  a  friend  ;  a  parent  to  the  poor. 
Such  was  the  woman  !  could  the  saint  be  more  ?' 

After  the  death  of  her  mother,  the  care  of 
Hannah,  and  of  a  younger  sister,  devolved 
on  Elizabeth,  who  was  the  oldest  daughter. 
They  now  lived  in  great  retirement ;  and 
one  of  Miss  Adams's  early  employments  was, 
weaving  lace  with  bobbins  on  a  cushion.  In 
referring  to  this,  she  afterwards  pleasantly 
observed,  that,  '  it  was  much  more  profitable 
than  writing  books.'  This  manner  of  life, 
with  her  desultory  habits  of  reading,  gave  a 
romantic  and  enthusiastic  turn  to  her  mind, 
which  was  never  essentially  changed  either 
by  time  or  circumstances. 

Miss  Adams's  heart  was  however  peculiarly 
alive  to  the  ties  of  natural  affection.  She 
deeply  felt  the  death  of  an  aunt,  who  had 
shown  for  her  maternal  tenderness.  But  as 
long  as  her  sister  Elizabeth  lived,  she  had,  to 
use  her  own  words,  a  friend,  a  counsellor,  and 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  57 

guide.  '  There  was,'  she  said,  'but  one  heart 
between  us ;  and  I  used  sometimes  to  tell 
rny  sister,  in  the  overflowing  of  my  affection, 
that  I  could  bear  to  lose  everything  if  she 
was  spared  to  me  ;  but}  if  she  were  taken 
away,  I  should  surely  die  ! '  Yet  this  calami- 
tous event  took  place  ;  and  Miss  Adams  liv- 
ed to  prove,  as  many  others  have  done,  that 
there  is,  in  the  day  of  sorrow,  a  strength 
imparted  beyond  human  fortitude.  The 
health  of  this  beloved  sister  was  declining 
for  nearly  two  years  ;  and  it  was,  during  that 
time,  one  of  her  constant  objects,  to  fortify 
Miss  Adams's  mind  for  an  event,  that  she  felt 
was  near,  and  which  she  feared  would  be  over- 
whelming. It  however  gradually  approach- 
ed, and  brought  no  terrors  to  herself.  She 
was  calm,  and  resigned ;  constantly  expressing 
her  *  entire  submission  to  the  Divine  will, 
and  laying  all  her.  burden  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross.'  There  were  no  enthusiastic  flights, 
nor  was  there  any  unnatural  exaltation  of 
mind  in  her  views  of  death.  Though  in  the 
bloom  of  youth  and  with  an  ardent  enjoy- 
ment of  life,  she  met  the  event  like  a  Chris- 


58  LIFE    OF 

tian.      Hers  was  a  philosophy  which  was 
formed  and  nurtured  by  religion. 

*  For  years  after  my  sister's  death,'  said  Miss 
Adams, '  it  was  a  struggle  to  live.'  Her  health 
was  extremely  feeble,  her  heart  she  believ- 
ed broken,  and  poverty  pressed  heavily  upon 
her.  There  were  times,  indeed,  when  she 
felt  as  if  she  had  not  even  a  home.  Her 
father  had  made  over  his  house  and  proper- 
\  ty  to  a  son,  with  whom  he  and  his  other  chil- 
dren continued  to  live  ;  but  as  this  son  was 
!  married,  and  his  family  was  increasing,  not- 
/  withstanding  his  paternal  kindness,  Miss 
Adams  felt,  and  could  not  but  feel,  as  if  she 
was  a  burden  upon  her  brother.  This  was 
the  most  trying  period  of  her  life,  and  it  was 
always  recollected  by  her  with  strong  emo- 
tion. 

The  first  effort  of  her  pen,  after  her  sis- 
ter's death,  produced  some  lines  on  that 
subject.  They  seem  to  be  the  very  breath- 
ings of  her  heart,  and  are  thrown  together 
almost  without  form ;  yet  a  few  extracts 
from  them  will  best  show  the  state  of  her 
mind, 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  59 

*The  first  attachment  of  my  earliest  years, 
Ere  yet  I  knew  to  feel  the  attractive  force 
Of  sacred  friendship,  was  my  love  to  her. 
Our  minds  expanding,  each  succeeding  year 
Heightened  our  mutual  friendship.     Not  a  joy 
Ere  touched  my  soul,  but  when  she  shared  a  part. 
When  pierced  with  sorrow,  her  all  cheering  smile 
•Could  give  me  comfort.     Well  she  knew  to  bear 
Life's  adverse  scenes  with  calm,  undaunted  mind, 
And  placid  resignation.     Grace  divine 
Illumed  her  soul,  and  stamp'd  its  features  there. 
#  #  #  #  #  # 

The  best  of  friends !  Oh,  how  my  bleeding  heart 
Recalls  her  tender  love!  Of  self  unmindful, 
For  me  she  seemed  to  live ;  forever  kind, 
Forever  studious  to  promote  my  good. 
•"  She  was  my  guide,  my  friend,  my  earthly  all ; " 
Heaven's  choicest  blessing.     Not  a  single  thought 
Could  link  in  close  disguise.     I  knew  to  trust 
This  much  loved  sister  with  my  inmost  soul. 

And  must  I  lose  her  !  While  unkind  disease 

Threatened  a  life  so  dear,  my  trembling  heart 

Sunk  in  o'erwhelming  wo.     Could  prayers,  or  tears, 

Could  sleepless  nights,  or  agonizing  days, 

And  all  the  care  of  fond  officious  love 

Avert  thy  fete,  —  sister,  thou  still  hadst  lived.' 

Many  expressions  of  her  deep  feeling  on 
this  subject  might  be  extracted  from  her  pa- 
pers ;  and  to  her  immediate  friends,  they  are 
precious  records  of  a  sorrow  stricken,  and 
resigned  spirit.  But  the  friendship  of  these 


60  LIFE    OF 

two  sisters  was  such  as  *  strangers  intermed- 
dle not  with.'  The  death  of  this  sister 
seemed  to  be  the  dissolution  of  a  tie,  like 
that  which  occasioned  the  exclamation  of 
David  in  his  beautiful  lamentation  over  Jon- 
athan. '  Thy  love  to  me  was  wonderful, 
passing  the  love  of  women.' 

That  Miss  Adams  drew  her  support  from 
religion  under  this  calamity,  her  manuscripts 
very  clearly  show.  She  employed  herself, 
when  unable  to  compose,  in  making  extracts 
from  the  Scriptures,  wrhich  she  applied  to  her 
particular  state  of  mind.  These  she  arrang- 
ed in  a  little  book,  and  preserved  till  her 
death. 

In  her  memoirs,  she  alludes  to  a  small 
circle  of  females  that  had  gradually  been 
drawn  together  from  the  neighboring  towns, 
by  a  similarity  of  taste  and  situation  ;  and 
in  this  circle  she  found  great  enjoyment.  In 
after  years,  her  imagination  probably  exag- 
gerated their  merit.  Yet  she  retained  many 
proofs  that  they  were  not  of  an  ordinary  stamp. 
In  speaking  of  this  knot  of  friends,  Miss 
Adams,  said,  « they  were  all  poor,  and  most 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  61 

of  them  good-looking,'  and  then  added,  with 
her  usual  simplicity,  '  I  had  the  fewest  at- 
tractions of  any  of  them.' 

Nor  was  Miss  Adams's  pen  at  this  time 
idle.  The  powers  of  her  mind  were  early 
appreciated  by  her  young  associates ;  or, 
perhaps,  it  is  more  just  to  say,  that  they  ob- 
tained that  influence,  which,  however  un- 
claimed, is  stamped  upon  superior  intellect. 
Mind  is  created  to  rule.  Wealth,  and  all  mere- 
ly outward  distinctions  are  thrown  into  ob- 
scurity, when  brought  in  competition  with 
mental  power.  This  is  strikingly  exempli- 
fied in  public  and  professional  strife ;  and, 
though  more  minutely,  yet  hardly  less  ob- 
viously, in  the  miniature  circle  of  private 
life.  Miss  Adams,  with  all  her  humility, 
and  her  retiring  modesty,  was  the  casuist  of 
her  youthful  friends.  A  number  of  her  pa- 
pers that  remain,  prove  how  often  she  was 
resorted  to  by  her  companions  in  cases  of 
opinion ;  and  the  publication  of  a  few  of 
these,  it  is  believed,  cannot  be  wholly  unin- 
teresting to  those  who  knew  her  in  later  life. 

One  of  her  young  friends  put  to  her  this 
6 


62  LIFE    OF 

interrogative.  Ought  mankind  to  be  respect- 
ed for  their  personal  worth  alone,  abstracted 
from  all  accidental  causes  ? 

To  this  question  Miss  Adams  replied. 

«  Mankind  ought  primarily  to  be  respected 
for  their  personal  worth  ;  yet  if  accidental 
causes  make  that  worth  appear  more  con- 
spicuous, it  may  increase  our  esteem,  which 
still  is  founded  on  personal  worth  in  propor- 
tion as  it  appears.  The  more  we  see  of 
virtue,  the  more  it  ought  to  attract  our  love 
and  admiration.  Virtue  becomes  visible  only 
by  its  effects.  The  diamond  we  value  for 
its  intrinsic  worth.  But  when  it  is  polished 
and  set,  its  essential  beauty  appears  more 
refulgent.  So  external  accomplishments, 
and  accidental  causes,  set  forth  the  original 
beauty  of  virtue,  and  serve  to  heighten  its 
charms.  There  are  particular  circumstances 
in  which  every  virtue  will  shine  with  pecu- 
liar lustre.  For  instance,  humility  has  in- 
trinsic excellence.  But  it  appears  most 
attractive  in  those  who  are  placed  in  affluent 
circumstances,  and  are  surrounded  by  pomp 
and  splendor.  Fortitude,  also,  is  an  excel- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  63 

lent  quality  of  the  mind.  But  suffering  and 
adversity  must  bring  it  forth.  Persons  who 
have  performed  eminent  services  for  their 
country  are  worthy  of  greater  honor,  than 
those  who  have  remained  in  private  life 
with  equal  worth.  I  conclude,  therefore, 
that  mankind  ought  to  be  esteemed  for  their 
personal  worth,  as  it  is  rendered  conspicuous 
by  accidental  causes.' 

Another  question  proposed  was,  whether 
virtue  ought  not  to  be  regarded  as  its  own 
reward,  without  any  reference  to  a  future 
state  of  happiness,  or  misery  ? 

To  this  she  replied,  '  A  regularity  of 
conduct  is  for  the  interest  of  all,  even  were 
their  prospects  terminated  by  the  enjoyments 
of  this  life.  We  cannot  doubt  that  the  vir- 
tuous Seneca  enjoyed  more  happiness  than 
Nero,  his  cruel  and  tyrannical  master.  So 
far  as  inward  peace  of  conscience  depends 
on  virtue,  it  is  its  own  reward.  But  we  do 
not  find  that  its  ends  are  commensurate  with 
its  exertions.  Honest  industry  does  not 
always  bring  even  a  moderate  support.  It 
therefore  appears  evident  to  me,  that  there 


64  LIFE    OF 

would  not  be  sufficient  reward  for,  nor  con- 
sequently sufficient  excitement  to,  the  sacri- 
fices which  virtue  requires,  without  the  hope 
of  a  future  life.  God,  by  the  influences  of 
his  spirit,  brings  home  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel  upon  the  mind,  and  makes  them  the 
spring  of  new,  and  right  principles.  Hence 
Divine  Revelation  informs  us,  "by  his  own 
will  begat  he  us  by  the  word  of  truth."  If 
we  look  for  nothing  beyond  the  grave,  too 
many  will  say,  "  what  advantageth  it  me  ?  " 
DrDoddridge  observes,  "  there  are  some  suf- 
ferings of  flesh  and  blood,  to  which  good 
men  for  conscience'  sake  have  been  exposed, 
so  extreme,  that  without  some  extraordinary 
support  from  God,  it  would  be  really  impos- 
sible that  the  pleasures  of  a  rational  thought 
should  be  enjoyed  by  them."  Such  support 
must  arise  from  a  view  of  a  future  state,  and 
from  a  conviction  that  afflictions  are  but  for 
a  moment,  and  are  "  working  out  for  them  a  far 
more  exceeding,  even  an  eternal  weight  of 
glory."  Not  that  I  mean  to  say,  we  are  to 
expect  Heaven  as  a  reward  for  our  virtue, 
independent  of  the  free  grace  of  God.  But 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  65 

he  has  promised  a  glorious  inheritance  to 
those  who  do  well,  and  this  ought  to  stimu- 
late men  to  the  greatest  industry  in  his 
service.  Love  to  God  is  the  great  principle 
of  Christian  virtue.' 

On  another  occasion  she  was  applied  to  by 
a  friend,  who  was  placed  in  an  embarrassing 
situation,  for  her  sentiments  on  the  subject 
of  forming  a  connexion,  without  mutual  at- 
tachment. 

The  following  observations  are  extracted 
from  her  reply. 

'  It  has  been  readily  allowed,  that  mar- 
riage, without  great  congeniality,  must  ren- 
der a  person  of  sensibility  extremely  wretch- 
ed. Novel  writers  have  general  urged  the 
impropriety  of  this  connexion  from  this  mo- 
tive. But  as  this  life  is  only  a  passport  to 
a  better,  the  principal  objection  ought  to 
arise  from  a  nobler  source. 

'  Both   religion  and  morality  require  that 

there  should  be  a  conformity    between  our 

words    and  actions ;  and,   that  in  both  we 

should  always  be  entirely  true.    Now  when 

6* 


66  LIFE    OP 

two  people  marry,  they  virtually  and  public- 
ly declare,  that  they  prefer  each  other  to  all 
the  world.  If  that  preference  be  wanting, 
this  declaration  is  a  capital  breach  of  sincer- 
ity. It  is  the  declaration  of  an  untruth  be- 
fore Heaven  and  earth. 

*  The  least  deviation  from  truth,  in  this 
one  capital  point,  imposes  a  kind  of  ne- 
cessity to  practise  continual  dissimulation. 
Having  exhibited  to  the  world  the  strongest 
proof  of  a  peculiar,  and  individual  affection, 
honor  and  reputation  render  it  of  conse- 
quence to  keep  up  the  deception.  By  doing 
this,  however,  the  delicacy  of  moral  feeling 
must  be  continually  wearing  away.  And 
what  will  be  the  happiness  of  married  life 
under  circumstances  like  these  ? 

4  The  attention  which  a  husband  and  wife 
have  a  right  to  expect  from  each  other,  must 
originate  in  a  decided  preference  of  each  oth- 
er ;  else  the  indifference  of  one-  of  the  par- 
ties may  effectually  destroy  that  happiness, 
which  they  had  bound  themselves  by  the 
most  sacred  obligations  to  promote. 

'  But  even   this  continual  dissimulation, 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  67 

which  is  highly  injurious  to  the  moral  char- 
acter, and  extremely  painful  to  an  ingen- 
uous mind,  will  be  wholly  unavailing  for  its 
end.  True  love  is  of  so  delicate  a  nature, 
that  it  can  never  be  satisfied  with  anything 
short  of  love  in  return ;  and  it  is  of  a  power 
so  penetrating,  that,  by  its  own  light,  it 
sees  into  the  heart  of  the  person  beloved. 
Its  primary  object  is  to  possess  the  heart. 
"  Not  the  warmest  expressions  of  affection, 
or  the  most  fervent  protestations,  are  able  to 
give  any  satisfaction,  where  we  are  not  per- 
suaded the  affection  is  real,  and  the  satis- 
faction mutual. 

"  All  these  possessed  are  nought,  but  as  they  are 
The  proofs,  the  substance  of  an  inward  passion 
And  the  richplunder  of  a  taken  heart."  ' 

The  first  edition  of  Miss  Adams's  View  of 
Religion  was  published  before  her  sister's 
death,  and  partly  transcribed  by  this  sister. 
The  second  was  begun  as  soon  after  this  af- 
flicting event  took  place,  as  she  could  col- 
lect resolution  to  engage  in  it.  Those  who 
knew  her  might  indeed  wonder  that  any  mo- 


68  LIFE    OF 

live  could  at  any  time  be  powerful  enough  to 
induce  her  to  publish  a  book.  Her  hu- 
mility, her  diffidence,  and  her  total  igno- 
rance of  business,  seemed  to  present  insur- 
mountable obstacles.  It  was  necessary, 
however,  that  she  should  earn  a  subsistence 
in  some  way.  She  had  tried  various  meth- 
ods. Making  lace,  during  the  war,  had  been 
one  of  the  most  lucrative  employments. 
But  home-made  lace  could  only  be  tolerated, 
when  no  other  could  be  procured ;  and  as 
soon  as  importation  become  easy,  it  sunk 
into  total  disuse.  Spinning,  weaving,  and 
braiding  straw  were  by  turns  tried.  But  all 
afforded  her  only  a  scanty  subsistence.  Her 
eyes  were  weak,  and  often  so  much  inflam- 
ed that  she  could  not  use  them.  Her  gene- 
ral health  also  was  extremely  feeble,  and  her 
mind  depressed  by  present  evil,  and  harass- 
ed by  distressing  fears  for  the  future.  *  It 
was  desperation,  therefore,  and  not  vanity,' 
said  she,  '  that  induced  me  to  publish.'  Her 
memoirs  mention  the  disappointment  she 
experienced  in  the  profits  of  her  first  edi- 
tion. When  about  publishing  a  second,  it 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  69 

was  necessary  to  pay  a  few  shillings  for  the 
further  security  of  the  copy-right  ;  and  this 
sum,  though  so  small,  she  was  obliged  to 
borrow  from  a  friend.  On  the  subject  of 
poverty,  she  always  spoke  with  great  feel- 
ing. She  had  early  in  life  been  brought  up 
in  indulgence  ;  and  poverty  had  come  upon 
her  at  an  age,  when  the  sensibility  of  the 
heart  are  most  alive.  There  can  hardly,  in- 
deed, be  a  suffering  more  acute  to  a  feeling 
mind,  that  has  experienced  the  pleasure  of 
bestowing,  than  to  find  its  means  of  benev- 
olence cut  off,  and  all  its  powers  necessarily 
turned  into  a  weary,  wasting  struggle  for 
self-preservation.  'And  yet,'  she  said, '  I  had 
then  enjoyments,  of  which  the  rich  have  no 
idea.  When  I  had  any  work  brought  in  that 
would  enable  me  to  earn  a  few  shillings,  by 
which  I  might  buy  paper,  or  any  articles  of 
stationary,  I  engaged  in  writing  with  an 
interest  that  beguiled  the  monotony  of  my 
life.'  After  the  second  edition  of  her  book 
was  published,  she  kept  a  school  for  the  sum- 
mer months  for  successive  years ;  and, 
though  in  this  employment  she  experienced 


70  LIFE    OF 

the  usual  difficulties  of  school-keeping  in  the 
country,  it  was,  upon  the  whole,  a  source  of 
happiness.  As  the  schools  were  in  the  neigh- 
boring towns,  she  resided  among  the  pa- 
rents of  the  children  by  turns ;  and  her  intel- 
ligent and  acute  mind  often  derived  amuse- 
ment, and  profit,  from  these  occasional  re- 
sidences. She  treasured  up  many  pleasant 
little  anecdotes,  that  marked  the  habits  and 
manners  of  the  families  in  which  she  then 
lived,  many  of  which  retained  much  of  the 
primitive  simplicity  of  their  forefathers. 

One  anecdote  may  not  be  unacceptable. 
She  passed  several  months  in  the  family  of  a 
respectable  farmer,  whose  turn  it  was  to 
receive  the  school-mistress.  His  wife  was  a 
pattern  of  frugal,  industrious  management ; 
yet  not  devoid  of  that  desire  of  appearing 
1  decent,'  which  was  manifested  by  the  Vicar 
of  Wakefield's  wife  before  her.  The  usu- 
al dress  of  females  in  the  country  at  that 
period,  when  engaged  in  domestic  employ- 
ments, was  the  *  short  russet  kyrtle,?  confin- 
ed at  the  waist  by  a  home-spun  checked 
apron.  This  was  the  costume  of  the  mis- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  71 

tress  of  the  family.  The  year  Miss  Adams 
resided  there  had  been  one  of  uncommon 
prosperity.  The  crops  were  abundant,  and 
many  little  luxuries  had  been  added  to  the 
household  establishment.  With  injunctions 
of  secrecy,  the  good  woman  informed  her 
guest,  that,  if  the  next  year  also  should  prove 
to  be  as  prosperous,  she  intended  to  wear 
long  calico  gowns ! 

Miss  Adams  remarked,  that  these  early 
scenes  often  recurred  to  her  mind,  amidst  the 
wealth  and  splendor  she  witnessed  in  la- 
ter life  ;  and  the  impressions  of  both  were 
heightened  by  the  contrast. 

That  her  sensibility  was  a  source  of  pain, 
as  well  as  of  happiness,  cannot  be  doubted. 
She  censured  herself  severely  for  moments 
of  irritation,  and  felt  the  keenest  self-re- 
proach for  what  might  be  truly  called  the 
infirmity  of  her  nature.  That  she  perfect- 
ly understood  her  weaknesses,  and  moral 
exposures,  'and  guarded  in  her  heart  the  ave- 
nues to  temptation,  the  following  resolutions, 
found  among  her  papers,  are  a  sufficient 
proof. 


72  LIFE    OF 

SERIOUS    RESOLUTIONS. 

•          '    i.  '  ' ^i  • -      «; '  i   :'     V^  i-  • '' ,f £ .* 

I  resolve  to  read  the  Bible  more  attentive- 
ly, and  diligently,  and  to  be  constant  and  fer- 
vent in  prayer  for  divine  illumination  and 
direction. 

2d.  To  read  less  from  curiosity,  and  a 
desire  to  acquire  worldly  knowledge,  and 
more  for  the  regulation  of  my  heart  and  life  ; 
\y  consequently,  to  have  my  reading  less  desul- 
tory, and  to  read  more  books  of  practical  di- 
vinity. 

3d.  In  choosing  my  friends  and  compan- 
ions, to  have  a  greater  regard  to  religious 
characters  than  I  have  hitherto  had. 

4th.  To  avoid  such  company  as  has  a 
Jr  tendency  to  unsettle  my  mind  respecting 
religious  opinions. 

5th.  To  endeavor  to  preserve  a  firm  re- 
liance on  Divine  Providence,  and  to  avoid  all 
unreasonable  worldly  care  and  anxiety. 

6th.  To  pray  and  guard  against  loving 
my  friends  with  that  ardent  attachment,  and 
that  implicit  reliance  upon  them,  which  is 
incompatible  with  supreme  love  to,  and  trust 
in,  God  alone. 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  73 

7th.  To  endeavor  to  attain  a  spirit  of 
forgiveness  towards  my  enemies,  and  to 
banish  from  my  mind  all  those  feelings  of 
resentment,  which  are  incompatible  with 
the  spirit  of  the  gospel. 

For  a  number  of  years,  no  incidents  oc- 
curred in  the  life  of  Miss  Adams  which  claim 
peculiar  notice.  It  is  a  long  road,  with  only 
here  and  there  a  milestone.  She  continued 
to  write,  but  on  subjects  not  at  all  congenial 
with  her  own  taste.  She  was  enthusiastic, 
and  a  great  lover  of  poetry  and  fiction  ;  but 
on  these  subjects  she  distrusted  herself,  and 
made  it  her  constant  study  to  accommodate  her 
mind  to  common  life.  Her  History  of  New 
England  is  evidence  of  her  perseverance  in 
this  purpose,  as  that  work  was  undertaken 
soon  after  the  second  edition  of  her  '  View 
of  Religious  Opinions.' 

In  her  memoirs,  she  mentions  her  difficulty 
of  procuring  books  that  would  aid  her  in  her 
purposes.  The  very  uncommon  faculty 
she  possessed  of  comprehending,  and  mak- 
ing her  own,  the  information  a  book  contain- 
ed, greatly  assisted  her  labors.  She  was 
7 


74  LIFE    OF 

invited  to  pass  a  week  or  two  at  the  late 
President  Adams's,  at  Quincy,  with  the  offer 
of  his  library  as  an  inducement  to  accept  the 
invitation.  He  was  much  struck  with  the 
rapidity  with  which  she  went  through  folios 
of  the  venerable  Fathers ;  and  made  some 
pleasant  remarks  in  consequence,  which  in- 
duced her  to  speak  of  their  contents.  He 
then  found,  that,  while  she  had  been  turn- 
ing over  leaf  after  leaf,  she  had  been  culling 
all  that  could  be  useful  in  her  labors.  She 
possessed  the  power  of  application  to  an 
uncommon  degree,  and  was  often  so  entirely 
engrossed  in  her  subject,  as  to  be  uncon- 
scious of  the  lapse  of  time.  This  abstrac- 
tion gave  rise  to  many  little  anecdotes.  It 
was  said  that  she  often  spent  days  at  the 
Atheneum ;  and  that  the  librarian,  after 
some  ineffectual  attempts  to  disengage  her 
from  her  book,  would  lock  the  door,  go  home 
to  his  dinner,  and  return  again,  and  find  her 
in  the  same  spot  ;  and  unconscious  either  of 
his  absence,  or  that  the  dinner  hour  was  past. 
A  friend  repeated  this  account  to  her,  and 
asked  her  if  it  was  true.  She  said  in  reply, 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  75 

4  It  is  very  much  exaggerated,  I  don't  think 
it  ever  happened  more  than  once  or  twice.' 
It  was  on  a  visit  to  Boston,  that  Miss 
Adams  first  saw  Mr  Buckminster.  He  was 
then  at  college,  and  about  sixteen  years  old. 
Those  who  knew  him  will  not  think  her 
description  of  him  an  exaggerated  one.  '  He 
had  then,'  she  said,  'the  bloom  of  health  on 
his  cheek,  and  the  fire  of  genius  in  his  eye. 
I  did  not  know  from  which  world  he  came, 
whether  from  heaven  or  earth.'  Though  so 
young,  he  entered  fully  into  her  character ; 
and  before  they  parted,  he  gave  her  a  short, 
but  comprehensive  sketch  of  the  state  of 
literature  in  France  and  Germany.'  After  he 
became  the  Pastor  of  Brattle  street  Church, 
he,  with  Mr  Higginson,  and  Mr  Shaw  the 
active  founder  of  the  Atheneum,  proposed 
to  Miss  Adams,  who,  from  an  enfeebled 
constitution,  had  begun  to  grow  infirm,  to 
remove  to  Boston  ;  at  the  same  time  procur- 
ing for  her,  through  the  liberal  subscription 
of  a  few  gentlemen,  an  annuity  for  life. 
She  had  then  commenced  her  History  of  the 
Jews  ;  and  nothing  could  have  been  more 


76  LIFE    OF 

favorable  to  its  progress,  or  to  her  own  ease 
of  mind,  than  this  benevolent  arrangement. 
She  could  never  speak  of  her  benefactors 
without  deep  emotion. 

From  the  Rev.  Mr  Buckminster  she  re- 
ceived the  most  judicious,  and  extensive 
assistance.  She  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting 
him  in  his  study,  and  had  his  permission  to 
come  when  she  pleased,  to  sit  and  read 
there  as  long  as  she  pleased,  or  take  any 
book  home  and  use  it  like  her  own.  Perhaps 
people  are  never  perfectly  easy  with  each 
other,  till  they  feel  at  liberty  to  be  silent  in 
each  other's  society.  It  was  stipulated  be- 
tween them,  that  neither  party  should  be 
obliged  to  talk.  But  her  own  language  will 
best  describe  her  feelings.  'Mr  Buckmin- 
ster would  sometimes  read  for  hours  without 
speaking.  But,  occasionally,  flashes  of  gen- 
ius would  break  forth  in  some  short  observa- 
tion, or  sudden  remark,  which  electrified  me. 
I  never  could  have  gone  on  with  my  history, 
without  the  use  of  his  library.  I  was  in- 
debted to  him  for  a  new  interest  in  life. 
He  introduced  me  to  a  valuable  circle  of 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  77 

friends  ;  and  it  was  through  him  that  I  be- 
came acquainted  with  Mrs  Dearborn,  whose 
kindness  and  attention  to  me  have,  been 
unceasing.  His  character  was  the  perfection 
of  humanity.  His  intellectual  powers  were 
highly  cultivated  and  ennobled.  Yet  even 
the  astonishing  vigor  and  brightness  of  his 
intellect  were  outdone  by  the  goodness  of 
his  heart. 

'  No  thought  within  his  generous  mind  had  birth, 
But  what  he  might  have  own'd  to  heaven  and  earth.' 

Mr  Buckminster  assisted  Miss  Adams's 
researches,  and  procured  information  for  her, 
relative  to  the  Jews.  He  took  a  warm  in- 
terest in  this  oppressed  people,  and  often 
prayed  for  them  during  communion  service, 
in  the  same  language  in  which  Jesus  had 
prayed  for  them.  *  Father,  forgive  them !  for 
they  know  not  what  they  do.'  For  about 
two  years  after  the  removal  of  Miss  Adams 
to  Boston,  she  enjoyed  this  intercourse,  visit- 
ting  his  study  with  the  utmost  freedom. 

It  is  impossible  not  to  look  back  with  ad- 
miration upon  the  benevolence  that  prompt- 
ed these  kind  attentions ;  and  it  is  not 
7* 


78  LIFE    OF 

a  difficult  effort  of  imagination  to  en- 
ter the  library,  and  to  view  these  laborious, 
and  dissimilar  students  together.  The 
one,  distinguished  by  the  natural  ease, 
grace  and  elegance  of  his  manners  ;  the 
other,  timid  and  helpless.  The  one, 
treading  with  the  elastic  step  of  youth,  and 
the  other  declining  into  the  vale  of  years ; 
yet  both  drawn  together  by  those  sympa- 
thies, which  spring  from  the  fountain  of 
perfect  and  everlasting  good.  Who  would 
not  be  touched  by  the  spectacle  of  a 
young  man  of  distinguished  talents,  equally 
sough't  by  the  world  of  science,  and  of  fash- 
ion, extending  a  helping  hand,  and  devoting 
a  portion  of  his  valuable  time,  to  a  timid 
and  helpless  female,  shrinking  from  the  ills  of 
life  ;  but  who  indeed  derived  her  happiness 
from  the  same  sources  that  he  did,  literature 
and  religion  .l  When,  from  indisposition,  she 
omitted  for  any  length  of  time  her  visits,  a 
kind  note,  or  a  still  kinder  call  alleviated  the 
infirmities  of  her  health.  But  this  happi- 
ness was  not  to  last.  Miss  Adams  was  only 
one  among  the  many  who  beheld  Mr  Buck- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  79 

minster  disappear,  at  the  early  age  of 
twentyeight  years,  '  in  all  the  brightness  of 
his  honors,  and  without  any  twilight  com- 
ing over  his  fame.' 

Miss  Adams  corresponded  with  literary 
characters  both  abroad  and  at  home,  but 
she  never  preserved  any  copies  of  her  own 
letters.  She  wrote  with  great  simplicity, 
and  singleness  of  heart,  without  any  display, 
and  set  no  value  on  her  own  composition. 
She  had,  indeed,  a  singular  standard  of 
judging.  It  was  her  firm  persuasion,  that 
she  never  wrote  anything  original.  *  It 
is  other  people's  thoughts,'  said  she, 
*  that  I  put  into  my  own  language.'  Were 
all  writers  brought  to  the  same  test, 
there  are  few  that  could  claim  much  origin- 
ality of  thought  ;  though  the  rich  and  var- 
ried  modes  of  expression,  and  the  different 
views  which  different  minds  take  of  funda- 
mental truths,  often  give  them  the  grace 
and  charm  of  novelty.  In  this  opinion 
of  herself,  however,  she  seems  to  refute 
her  position  ;  as  it  must  be  acknowledg- 
ed that  this  view  of  her  own  works  is 


80  LIFE    OF 

rather  original  among  authors.  Her  defect 
was,  underrating,  instead  of  overrating  her 
powers.  Her  mind  was  like  a  well  cultivated 
garden,  stored  with  fruits  and  flowers,  and 
watered  by  pure  streams.  But  they  were 
streams  that  flowed  on  just  as  nature  had 
intended.  There  were  no  cascades,  nor 
fountains,  nor  serpentine  walks,  nor  rare  ex- 
otics. All  was  simple,  and  natural. 

Her  timidity  was  excessive.  It  pervaded 
her  whole  character,  and  sometimes  palsied 
the  efforts  of  her  mind.  In  her  youth  she 
amused  herself  with  writing  tales  of  fiction. 
1  But,'  she  said,  '  they  all  took  their  color 
from  her  own  life.  She  could  do  nothing 
but  kill  and  destroy  ;  and  when  her  situation 
became  happier,  and  her  mind  more  cheer- 
ful, she  could  not  endure  the  sight  of  them.' 
When  very  young,  her  health  being  in  a 
feeble  state,  and  not  expecting  to  live  long, 
she  determined  to  write  a  number  of  letters 
to  her  young  friends,  after  the  manner  of 
Mrs  Rowe's  ;  intending  they  should  reach 
them  mysteriously,  immediately  on  her  death. 
But  fortunately  for  the  Jews,  and  for  litera- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  81 

ture,  her  anticipations  were  not  realized. 
She  was  early  in  life  much  in  the  habit  of 
committing  poetry  to  memory  ;  and  this  she 
never  forgot.  '  I  could  repeat  poetry,'  said 
she,  '  I  believe  for  three  months  together ; 
and  though  I  am  now  continually  troubled 
by  forgetting  where  I  have  laid  a  knife,  a 
pencil,  or  a  pen,  yet  the  long  poems  I  learned 
in  my  youth,  I  can  repeat  as  accurately  as 
ever.'  She  went  on  to  observe,  that  these 
recollections  did  not  give  her  so  much 
pleasure  as  might  be  supposed  ;  for,  as  this 
poetry  was  selected  when  she  was  young, 
much  of  it  was  not  of -a  kind  which  her  rna- 
turer  taste  and  judgment  could  approve. 

Though  Miss  Adams  was  born  and  bred 
in  the  country,  she  felt  the  strongest  enthu- 
siasm for  rural  scenes ;  and  they  always 
seemed  to  retain  the  power  of  novelty  over 
her  mind.  A  walk,  a  ride,  or  a  visit  to  any 
new  place,  awoke  all  the  fervor  of  her 
feelings.  It  was  on  one  of  these  occasions 
that  she  composed  the  following  lines. 

'  Such  scenes  the  days  of  innocence  renew, 
And  bring  the  patriarchal  age  to  view, 


82  LIFE    OF 

Thus  favor'd  Abraham,  in  the  days  of  old, 
On  flowery  Mamre  kept  his  fleecy  fold ; 
While  friendly  angels  left  their  heavenly  seat, 
To  greet  the  patriarch  in  his  calm  retreat.' 

1  There  are  few  who  were  more  cal- 
culated for  the  enjoyment  of  friendship 
and  society  than  Miss  Adams.  Yet  for 
a  long  period  she  seems  to  have  been  in 
a  great  measure  deprived  of  both.  It  is 
difficult  to  say  what  effects  might  have  been 
produced  by  the  action  of  other  minds  upon 
!  her  own.  It  might  have  roused  it  to  more 
i  inventive  exertion  ;  or,  on  the  other  hand,  in 
the  fulness  of  enjoyment,  her  mental  pow- 
ers might  have  sunk  into  indolence.  But 
one  thing  is  certain,  that  her  happiness  would 
have  been  greatly  increased  by  it.  Those 
who  knew  her  only  late  in  life  can  fully  real- 
ize how  much  she  must  have  felt  the  want 
of  a  friend,  after  the  death  of  her  sister. 
Her  strong  sensibility  to  all  that  was  excel- 
lent, and  good,  and  fair  in  creation,  peculiar- 
ly fitted  her  for  that  intercourse  of  thought 
and  feeling,  which  such  emotions  naturally 
call  forth.  Her  love  of  literature  was  no 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  83 

doubt  a  high  source  of  enjoyment.  But  per- 
haps even  this  might  have  been  increased, 
by  those  occasional  restraints  which  the 
forms  and  habits  of  society  impose.  The 
epicure  is  willing  to  delay  his  dinner  for  an 
appetite  ;  and,  upon  the  same  principle,  those 
who  read,  write,  or  reflect  with  the  great- 
est relish,  may  return  to  these  occupations 
with  tenfold  enjoyment,  after  giving  an  hour 
or  two  to  a  social  circle,  or  even  to  the  dull 
round  of  a  modern  tea  party.  But  Miss 
Adams  had  none  of  these  incentives.  She  f 
was  at  liberty  to  read,  or  write,  with  >, 
out  interruption  ;  to  turn  over  huge  folios, 
or  musty  manuscripts,  from  morning  to 
night ;  and  if  she  sometimes  suspended  her 
labors,  and  walked  abroad,  it  was  for  a  sol- 
itary pleasure.  Yet  she  allowed  no  senti- 
ment of  repining,  or  of  discontent,  to  em- 
bitter her  life  ;  for  she  fully  realized  that, 

« It  is  th'  allotment  of  the  skies, 
The  hand  of  the  Supremely  Wise, 
That  guides  and  governs  our  affections 
And   plans  and  orders  our  connexions  ; 
Directs   us  in  our  distant  road, 
And  marks  the  bounds  of  our   abode.' 


84  LIFE    OF 

This  feeling  of  resignation  to  existing 
circumstances  prevented  Miss  Adams  from 
making  any  strenuous  exertions  to  improve 
her  condition.  Once,  indeed,  she  projected 
a  plan  of  keeping  a  circulating  library  at 
Salem.  She  had  a  considerable  number  of 
books  to  begin  with,  and  probably  encourag- 
ed a  hope  that  she  might  in  this  way  be- 
come instrumental  to  the  promotion  of  re- 
ligious and  moral  instruction.  But  she  nev- 
er thought  superficially  on  any  subject ;  and 
before  engaging  in  active  measures,  she 
made  full  inquiry  into  the  probable  success 


JU.1C4V4O      J.U.JJ.      J.I.HJ  U.-1J.     ¥        J.J.J.  UV/  IJJ.^       pi  wmjl\s          OUV,-V>\yOk> 

'    and  consequences  of  her  plan.     It  was  then 

i-Vio-f       KOI*      nrkvinrVif1      on/1       /^/~»n  c?s»ion  tirxiic"      Tv\iv*/1 

tion,    that   the    emoluments    of    a     circu- 


that   her  upright,  and    conscientious  mind, 
relinquished  the  undertaking.     The  reflec- 


lating  library  are  drawn  from  novels,  plays, 
and  romances,  and  that,  in  keeping  such  a 
library,  she  must  be  accessary  to  much  waste 
of  time,  if  not  perversion  of  taste  and  even 
of  principle,  by  disseminating  works  which 
often  are  read  because  they  are  new,  deter- 
mined her  conduct.  She  felt,  and  lamented 
the  injury,  which  the  promiscuous  reading 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  85 

of  similar  works  had  produced  on  her  own 
mind.  While  they  had  sharpened  her  sensi- 
bility to  the  evils  of  life,  they  had  also  aner- 
vated  her  resolution  to  endure  them  ;  and 
she  ascribed  much  of  her  mental  suf- 
fering to  this  cause.  She  would  not,  there- 
fore, pursue  the  plan  of  a  circulating  library, 
though  encouraged  to  do  *it  by  some  warm- 
hearted friends.  Had  the  Waverley  novels 
made  their  appearance  in  her  youthful  days, 
they  would  probably  have  rendered  harm- 
less the  greater  part  of  those  which  fell  in- 
to her  hands.  Their  just  historical  painting, 
their  strong  delineation  of  character,  and 
masterly  touches  of  passion  and  feeling, 
united  with  the  exquisite  description  of  what 
is  beautiful  and  sublime  in  the  scenery  of 
nature,  could  not  fail  to  have  given  her  a 
juster  taste,  and  directed  her  enthusiasm 
to  a  higher  mark.  Her  own  good  sense, 
led  her,  in  time,  to  discriminate,  and  to 
separate  the  gold  from  the  dross ;  and  she 
never  ceased  to  derive  great  pleasure  from 
a  well  written  work  of  fiction.  Her  whole 
testimony,  however,  was  given  against  that 
8 


86  LIFE    OF 

promiscuous  reading  of  novels,  which  Jhas 
,been  in  times  past,  more  than  of  late  years, 
permitted  among  young  girls.  The  rapid 
progress  of  education,  by  occupying  the 
time,  and  expanding  the  mind,  has  done 
much  towards  the  correction  of  this  evil.  Ma- 
ny now  sip  at  the  fountain-head  of  elegant  lit- 
erature, and  feel  the  beauty  of  Virgil,  and  the 
sublimity  of  Dante,  in  their  native  languages ; 
listen  to  the  sweet  melody  of  Tasso ;  and  find 
in  the  Christian  leader  of  the  early  ages,  God- 
frey, a  hero  far  surpassing  the  heroes  of 
modern  romances. 

Happily  the  time  has  arrived,  when  the 
cultivation  of  female  intellect  needs  no  lon- 
ger to  be  advocated,  or  recommended.  It 
is  now  placed  on  a  just  and  rational  ground. 
We  hear  no  longer  of  the  alarming,  and 
perhaps  justly  obnoxious  din,  of  the  «  rights 
of  women.'  Whatever  their  capacity  of 
receiving  instruction  may  be,  there  can  be  no 
use  in  extending  it  beyond  the  sphere  of 
their  duties.  Yet .  how  wide  a  circle  does 
this  include  !  Who  can  doubt  the  sacred  and 
important  duties  of  a  mother  ?  '  Nature  has 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  87 

not  more  evidently  assigned  them  the  task 
of  nourishing  the  body  of  the  infant,  than 
she  has  that  of  developing,  and  cultivating 
the  mind,  in  its  earlier  stages.'  It  is  her 
office  to  sow  the  first  seeds  of  virtue  ;  to 
regulate  the  first  excitements  of  temper ;  to 
cultivate  gentleness,  forbearance,  disinter- 
estedness, and  above  all,  obedience.  For 
this,  her  own  habits  must  be  those  of  care- 
ful observation,  of  steady  self-government, 
and  of  systematical  arrangement ;  otherwise, 
her  plan  will  be  made  up  of  miscellaneous 
feelings,  and  opinions,  that  will  be  constant- 
ly fluctuating. 

*  It  may  be  doubted  whether  any  one  can 
be  placed  in  so  insulated  a  situation,  as  to 
possess  a  right  of  appropriating  any  consid- 
erable portion  of  his  time  to  studies,  which 
may  not  terminate  in  a  practical  result.' 
This  rule,  in  an  enlightened  sense,  ought  to 
be  the  standard  of  a  woman's  education. 
It  ought  to  be  the  measure  of  her  cultiva- 
tion. But  surely  no  faculty  of  her  mind  can 
be  spared  from  this  work.  l  She  is  design- 
ed by  nature  for  elegance,  and  gentleness ; 


'   / 


88  LIFE    OF 

to  endear  domestic  life  to  man,  to  make 
virtue  lovely  to  her  children,  to  spread  around 
her  order  and  grace,  and  to  give  society  its 
highest  polish.  No  attainment  can  be  above 
beings  whose  end  and  aim  is  to  accomplish 
these  important  purposes.  Every  means 
should  be  used  to  invigorate  by  principle,  and 
culture,  their  native  excellence  and  grace.'* 
These  observations  may  be  deemed  irre- 
levant, but  they  are  suggested  by  Miss  Ad- 
ams's own  remarks  on  this  subject.  She 
often  regretted  the  time  she  had  spent  in 
useless,  and  desultory  reading,  and  observed, 
that  when  she  first  began  to  turn  her  atten- 
tion to  the  study  of  the  dead  languages,  she 
felt  as  if  she  was  '  drawing  upon  herself  the 
ridicule  of  society.'  She  lived,  however^ 
to  see  these  prejudices  removed,  and  to  re- 
ceive a  respect  and  deference  from  literary 
men,  which  often  excited  her  astonishment, 
as  well  as  gratitude.  There  have  been  ma- 
ny instances  recorded,  of  talent  which  has 
been  suffered  to  languish  in  obscurity  and 
want.  Against  these,  the  present  instance 

*  Fenelon, 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  89 

ought  not  to  pass  unnoticed.  The  individu- 
al kindness  that  Miss  Adams  received  was 
invariable.  She  had  outlived  almost  all  her 
cotemporaries.  But  new  generations  had 
sprung  up  under  the  enlightened  influences  of 
education,  who  respected  her  intellect  and 
learning,  and  who  loved  her  for  her  good- 
ness. After  her  removal  to  Boston,  she  was 
therefore  seldom  long  in  solitude.  Her  little 
apartment  was  usually  decorated  with  the 
flowers  that  her  young  friends  brought  her. 
Many  of  them  spent  hours  in  reading  to  her, 
and  cheered  her  by  their  bright  and  ani- 
mated conversation.  It  would  be  injustice, 
also,  not  to  refer  to  the  disinterested,  and 
liberal  assistance  she  received  from  those 
friends,  who  enabled  her  to  reserve  a  part 
of  her  laborious  earnings  for  the  benefit  of 
a  suffering  relative.  The  annuity,  which 
continued  to  her  death,  was  said  to  have 
been  first  suggested  by  ladies  ;  but  after- 
wards, the  proposal  was  put  into  the  hands 
of  Mr  Shaw,  and  the  other  gentlemen  men- 
tioned in  her  memoirs.  A  few  years  pre- 
vious to  her  death,  a  number  of  ladies  at 
8* 


90  LIFE    OF 

Salem  sent  her  an  annual  sum  as  a  testimo- 
ny of  their  respect. 

At  one  period  of  her  life,  her  correspon- 
dents were  numerous.  Amongst  them  might 
be  mentioned  names,  that  will  long  be  cher- 
ished by  posterity.  The  venerable  Presi- 
dent Adams,  to  whom  the  second  edition  of 
her  View  of  Religions  was  dedicated,  took 
a  benevolent  interest  in  her  literary  success. 
From  one  of  his  letters  to  her,  the  following 
sentence  is  extracted. 

'  You  and  I  are  undoubtedly  related  by 
birth  ;  and  although  we  were  both  "  born  in 
humble  obscurity,"  yet  I  presume  neither  of 
us  have  any  cause  to  regret  that  circum- 
stance. If  I  could  ever  suppose  that  family 
pride  was  in  any  case  excusable,  I  should 
think  a  descent  from  a  line  of  virtuous,  in- 
dependent New  England  farmers,  for  one 
hundred  and  sixty  years,  was  a  better  foun- 
dation for  it,  than  a  descent  through  royal 
or  titled  scoundrels  ever  since  the  flood.' 

With  the  learned  Bishop  Gregoire,  whose 
name  is  familiar  in  our  country  as  well  as 
his  own,  her  correspondence  continued  ma- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  91 

ny  years.  The  congeniality  of  their  labors 
in  the  cause  of  the  Jews,  as  well  as  general 
philanthropy,  had  made  them  acquainted 
with  each  other.  With  Mr  Cunningham, 
also,  Vicar  of  Harrow,  and  author  of  *  The 
World  without  Souls,'  she  exchanged  letters. 
From  Miss  More  she  received  several,  all  of 
which  she  most  highly  prized.  The  late 
Mrs  Catharine  Cappe  was  among  her  cor- 
respondents ;  nor  can  we  omit  to  mention 
her  letters  from  the  amiable,-  and  distinguish- 
ed Swedenborgian,  Mr  Hill.  There  is  one 
also  among  her  papers  from  the  venera- 
fyle  Bishop  Carroll,  in  reply  to  a  letter  of 
hers  addressed  to  him.  It  is  with  no  nar- 
row feeling  we  mention  names  like  these. 
We  ask  not  their  sect  or  country.  They 
belong  to  the  great  family  of  mankind,  and 
we  claim  affinity  as  a  rightful  inheritance. 

The  strength  of  Miss  Adams's  natural  af- 
fection was  proportionate  to  her  social  ties. 
Of  her  only  remaining  sister,  and  to  whom 
her  memoir  is  bequeathed  in  the  '  humble 
hope  that  it  may  be  a  pecuniary  benefit  to 
her,'  she  often  spoke  with  deep  and  ir- 


92  LIFE    OF 

repressible  feeling.  She  sometimes  project- 
ed plans,  by  which  she  might  have  enjoyed 
more  of  the  society  of  her  nieces  ;  but  she 
submitted  to  the  necessity  which  separated 
her  from  her  relatives  without  a  murmur. 
One  of  her  nieces  was  adopted,  and  educa- 
ted by  a  lady,  who  fell  a  victim  to  consump- 
tion in  the  prime  of  life.  Here  recollec- 
tion lingers  for  a  moment.  Impelled  by  a 
powerful  sense  of  duty,  this  lady  quitted  her 
nearest  friend,  and  sought,  in  the  milder 
climate  of  Italy,  that  health  and  freedom  of 
respiration  which  were  denied  her  here. 
She  was  able  to  derive  much  enjoyment 
from  her  short  residence  in  a  land  that 
abounded  with  objects  congenial  to  her  taste  ; 
but  only  lived  to  return,  and  yield  her  last 
breath  in  her  native  country. 

As  Miss  Adams  has  mentioned  her  works 
in  her  memoir,  in  the  order  in  which  they 
were  written,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  more  of 
them.  They  have  been  reviewed,  and 
weighed,  by  a  candid  public  ;  and  met  at  the 
time  the  wants  of  the  different  departments 
in  which  they  were  written.  Her  History  of 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  93 

New  England  was  a  pioneer  to  many  simi- 
lar works  that  followed.  There  is,  however, 
one  work  of  hers,  published  in  1804,  which 
is  less  known.  It  is  entitled,  '  The  Truth 
and  Excellence  of  the  Christian  Religion 
exhibited.'  This  work  contains  interest- 
ing, and  short  sketches  of  the  lives  of  em- 
inent laymen,  who  have  written  in  defence 
of  the  Christian  religion,  with  extracts  from 
their  writings.  The  characters  are  select- 
ed with  judgment  and  taste,  and  every  cir- 
cumstance is  omitted  that  does  not  aid  her 
purpose.  From  the  preface  to  i  The  Truth 
and  Excellence  of  the  Christian  Religion,' 
written  by  the  author,  we  select  one  pas- 
sage. '  In  order  to  prevent  any  misrepresen- 
tation of  the  design  of  this  compilation,  it 
may  be  proper  to  inform  the  reader,  that 
these  great  names,  and  the  testimonies  they 
have  given  of  their  firm  belief  of  the  truth 
of  Christianity,  are  not  adduced  to  justify  a 
reliance  upon  human  authority,  or  to  estab- 
lish the  divinity  of  the  Christian  system  ;  but 
the  evidences  of  revealed  religion  are  still 
submitted  to,  and  boldly  challenge,  the  strict- 


t'.. 


94  LIFE    OF 

est  scrutiny,  by  the  known  and  established 
rules  of  right  reason.'  In  connexion  with 
this  idea,  she  quotes  the  following  lines  from 
Cowper. 

'  "Philosophy  baptized 
In  the  pure  fountain  of  eternal  love, 
Has  eyes  indeed ;  and,  viewing  all  she  sees, 
As  meant  to  indicate  a  God  to  man, 
Gives  him  the  praise,  and  forfeits  not  her  own." ' 

The  order  and  systematic  arrangement  of 
this  work  is  excellent.  It  was  principally 
intended  for  the  use  of  young  persons  ;  and 
the  characters  selected  are  not  wanting  in 
that  sort  of  interest,  which  is  suited  to  make 
them  attractive  to  the  young.  The  follow- 
ing anecdote  is  there  related  of  Grotius. 

*  This  great  man  was  twice  sent  on  em- 
bassies to  England.  On  his  return  to  Hol- 
land, he  found  the  religious  divisions  which 
had  for  some  time  prevailed  in  that  country 
increased.  By  his  attachment  to  Barnevelt 
and  the  remonstrant  party,  he  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  Prince  Maurice  of  Orange. 
In  1669,  he  was  seized  and  sentenced  to  per- 
petual imprisonment,  and  his  estate  waa 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  95 

confiscated.  In  pursuance  of  this  sentence, 
he  was  imprisoned  in  the  strong  castle  of 
Louvestein  ;  and  after  having  been  treated 
with  great  rigor  for  more  than  a  year  and  a 
half,  he  was  rescued  by  a  stratagem  of  his 
wife.  He  had  been  permitted  to  borrow 
books  of  his  friends ;  and  when  he  had  pe- 
rused them,  they  were  carried  back  in  a  chest 
with  his  linen,  which  was  in  this  way  sent 
to  be  washed.  During  the  first  year,  the 
guards  were  exact  in  examining  the  chest ; 
but  at  length  grew  remiss,  and  did  not  take 
the  trouble  to  open  it.  His  wife,  who  be- 
longed to  one  of  the  first  families  in  Zea- 
land, and  was  worthy  of  such  a  husband  as 
Grotius,  observing  their  negligence,  advised 
him  to  bore  holes  in  the  chest  to  prevent  his 
being  stifled,  and  then  to  put  himself  into 
it,  and  to  make  his  escape.  She  requested 
the  governor  of  the  castle  to  permit  her  to 
send  away  a  chest.  After  her  request  was 
granted,  Grotius  was  put  into  the  chest,  and 
conveyed  to  a  friend's  house  in  Gorkum, 
where,  dressing  himself  like  a  mason,  and 
taking  a  rule  and  trowel,  he  passed  through 


96  LIFE    OF 

the  market  place,  and  stepping  into  a  boat, 
went  to  Brabant.  There  he  discovered  him- 
self to  some  of  his  friends,  and  hired  a  car- 
riage at  Antwerp.  At  first  there  was  a  de- 
sign of  prosecuting  his  wife,  who  remained 
in  the  prison.  However,  she  was  released 
by  a  plurality  of  voices,  and  universally  ap- 
plauded for  a  resolution  and  courage  which 
saved  her  husband's  life,  while  it  endanger- 
ed her  own.' 

It  would  be  a  pleasant  office,  in  paying 
this  tribute  to  the  memory  of  a  friend,  to 
record  the  names  of  many  whose  kindness 
and  attention  to  her  were  unremitting. 
Some,  like  herself,  have  gone  to  their  long 
home ;  but  others  still  remain,  to  continue 
their  'noiseless  deeds  of  worth.'  One 
little  incident,  which  greatly  interested  her 
from  the  mystery  attached  to  it,  is  a  reason 
for  mentioning  the  name  of  a  lady  who  is 
now  no  more,  but  who  was  distinguished  for 
endowments  of  mind  and  person.  She 
married,  and  went  to  Europe  during  the  rev- 
olutionary war.  After  passing  many  years 
in  England,  Scotland  and  France,  she  re- 


MISS    HANiNAH    ADAMS.  97 

turned  to  this  country,  with  a  mind  fraught 
with  practical  knowledge,  a  heart  full  of 
benevolence,  and  blest  with  that  happy  tal- 
ent of  conversation,  that  draws  forth  from 
the  recipient  as  much  as  it  communicates. 
In  this  lady's  society  Miss  Adams  took  the 
greatest  delight.  During  their  long  and 
pleasant  intercourse  of  many  years,  an  artist 
waited  on  Miss  Adams,  and  requested  her  to 
sit  for  a  miniature  picture  of  herself :  say- 
ing that  he  was  commissioned  to  solicit  the 
favor  by  a  friend.  She  consented,  but  was 
entirely  at  a  loss  to  conjecture  who  the 
friend  could  be.  The  picture  was  com- 
pleted, and  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks 
sent  to  her,  with  the  following  note. 

MY  DEAR  MADAM  —  I  send  you  the  min- 
iature for  which  you  had  the  goodness  to 
sit.  It  has  been  generally  recognised,  and 
thought  a  good  likeness.  I  hope  it  will  be 
as  much  approved  in  your  room,  as  it  has  been 
in  mine.  Now,  my  dear  Madam,  you  will 
discover  the  friend  who  was  desirous  that 
you  should  live  in  future,  in  person  as  well  as 
9 


98  LIFE    OF 

in  mind.  I  sincerely  hope  others  may  feel 
as  I  do  on  this  subject ;  and  a  more  valuable 
portrait  be  secured  of  the  lady,  whose  talents 
and  writings  have  diffused  so  much  useful 
knowledge,  and  whose  conduct  and  life  has 
been  so  exemplary.  After  it  has  been  with 
you  long  enough  for  your  friends  to  see  it,  I 
wish  it  returned,  and  to  have  the  honor  of 
its  hanging  in  my  house.  If  one  better  cal- 
culated for  the  purpose  should  not  hereafter 
be  taken,  I  shall  bequeath  it  to  the  Athe- 
ngeum. 

With  great  respect, 

Your  friend  and  servant, 

CATHARINE  HAY. 

BOSTON,  DEC.  25,  1822. 

The  hope  of  this  lady  was  accomplished. 
A  few  years  before  Miss  Adams's  death, 
through  the  influence  of  a  few  friends,  a  fine 
likeness  of  her  was  taken  by  Mr  Harding, 
and  was  afterwards  presented  by  them  to  the 
Athenaeum. 

We  hope  it  may  not  be  deemed  improper 
to  mention  one  other  friend,  whose  life  was 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  99 

a  series  of  benevolent  and  disinterested  ex- 
ertions. Immediately  previous  to  Miss  Ad- 
ams's illness,  she  spoke  of  this  friend  with 
her  accustomed  interest ;  and  with  an  an- 
ticipation that  they  should  be  fellow-travel- 
lers to  the  land  of  spirits.  Mrs  Codman's 
death  took  place  a  few  days  after  that  of 
Miss  Adams.  She  has  left  to  her  friends 
those  sweet  and  sacred  remembrances,  that 
soften  and  elevate  the  heart ;  while  the 
influence  of  he  r  intelligent,  and  liberal  mind, 
will  long  be  felt  in  the  society  in  which  she 
lived. 

The  most  prominent  trait  in  Miss  Adams's 
character  was  sensibility.  It  was  impossible 
to  converse  with  her  any  length  of  time, 
without  touching  some  of  the  numerous 
chords  that  vibrated  through  her  system. 
An  instrument  thus  organized  did  not  require 
the  skill  of  an  artist  to  set  it  in  motion. 
The  feeblest  hand  could  extract  notes  of  joy, 
sorrow,  or  apprehension.  It  responded  to  ev- 
ery breath  that  passed  over  it.  This  sensi- 
tiveness sometimes  put  her  at  the  mercy  of 


100 


LIFE    OF 


the  unfeeling  and  obtrusive.  But,  generally 
speaking,  her  sensibility  was  a  source  of  great 
enjoyment.  Towards  her  friends  it  flowed 
forth  in  an  affection  fervent  and  enthusiastic. 
*  The  sight  of  them,'  to  use  her  own  expres- 
sion, '  was  like  the  sun  and  air  of  Heaven.' 
All  that  was  remotely  connected  with  them 
became  important  to  her.  Those  who  have 
heard  her  speak  of  Mr  Thacher,  the  eloquent 
and  feeling  historian  of  her  friend  Mr  Buck- 
minster,  understood  the  nature  of  her  emo- 
tions. She  almost  identified  him  with  the 
being  that  he  so  beautifully  and  justly  delin- 
eated. Brothers  indeed  they  were  in  the 
sacred  ties  of  love  and  harmony,  and  in 
those  qualities  of  mind  that  emanate  from 
the  source  of  perfect  wisdom  and  goodness. 
There  are  many  who  may  apply  to  both  that 
touching  sentence  the  survivor  applied  to  his 
friend  ;  '  Even  now,  when  time  has  inter- 
posed to  subdue  all  the  more  powerful  emo- 
tions of  grief,  there  are  those  who  delight 
to  recall  the  hours  we  have  passed  with 
tiiem,  and  to  dwell  on  those  traits,  which  we 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  101 

loved  while  living,  and  which  death  cannot 
efface  from  our  memories.' 

Mr  Thacher,  unlike  his  friend,  was  doom- 
ed to  see  death  approach  by  slow  and  falter- 
ing steps.  If  there  is  a  trial  on  earth  that 
mocks  the  power  of  human  fortitude,  it  is  to 
feel  the  usefulness  of  life  cut  off,  and  to  be 
compelled  to  remain  idle  during  the  toils  of 
the  day,  while  cares  and  labors  are  thronging 
around.  How  nobly  he  endured  this  afflic- 
tion, how  justly  he  reasoned  that  the  part 
assigned  him  was  to  ivait,  must  be  well  re- 
membered. The  teachings  of  Heaven  are 
as  various  as  our  wants.  This  sublime  exam- 
ple of  patient  endurance  has  found  its  way 
to  many  a  heart,  and  spoken  more  forcibly 
than  the  services  even  of  an  active  ministry 
could  have  done.  His  fervent  prayer  is  now 
accomplished.  He  has  gone  to  that  world 
where  *  friendship  is  uninterrupted,  and  vir- 
tue eternal.' 

We  bless  God  for  the  natural  evidence  of 
a  future  life,  which  minds  like  these,  bearing 
the  visible  stamp  of  immortality,  afford ;  we 
*  .  9* 


»         J»^P 


102  LIFE    OF 

bless  him  that  such  have  existed,  and  we 
bless  him  that  such  have  preceded  those 
whom  we  love,  to  cast  brightness  over  the 
dark  valley  of  death. 

We  hope  this  involuntary  digression  will 
be  pardoned,  and  we  return  again  to  the 
subject  of  our  memoir.  We  have  spoken  of 
her  sensibility  and  elsewhere  of  her  humility. 
This,  however,  must  not  be  mistaken  for  that 
slothful  quiescent  sense  of  inferiority,  which 
sometimes  belongs  to  common  minds.  It 
was  true  Christian  humility  ;  it  was  the  con- 
sciousness of  high  moral  capacities,  falling 
far  short  of  her  exalted  standard  of  excel- 
lence. The  sensibility  that  led  her  so  fully 
to  appreciate  the  kindness  of  her  friends, 
made  her  alive  to  injury.  At  any  attempt  at 
imposition,  her  spirit  rose  proportionably,  and 
she  expressed  and  felt  a  resentment  for  which 
she  afterwards  reproached  herself. 

Her  judgment  and  opinion  of  books  was 
derived  from  her  own  power  of  thought.  She 
did  not  wait  for  the  decision  of  others,  but  ex- 
pressed her  own  fearlessly,  when  called  for. 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  103 

But  it  was  on  the  subject  of  character  that 
her  mind  discovered  most  acuteness  and  orig- 
inality. Even  in  those  whom  she  loved,  she 
knew  how  to  discriminate,  and  when  she 
allowed  herself  to  speak  on  the  subject, 
plainly  discovered  that  she  knew  how  to 
separate  the  good  from  the  evil,  and  that 
she  had  learned  to  love  them  with  their 
faults. 

The  last  visit  that  Miss  Adams  made  was 
to  South  Boston,  in  the  family  of  the  Su- 
perintendent of  Juvenile  Offenders.  There 
was  much  in  her  short  residence  there  to 
interest  her  mind.  The  success  of  this  in- 
stitution ;  the  groups  of  rescued  children, 
now  cheerful  and  obedient ;  the  disinterested 
kindness  of  the  family  ;  nor  ought  it  to  be 
forgotten,  the  beautiful  situation  of  the  build- 
ing, overlooking  the  bay  of  Boston  with  its 
many  islands,  the  harbor  and  city  rising  in 
its  pyramid  of  beauty,  and  crowned  by  the 
dome  of  the  State-house ;  all  called  forth 
her  enthusiasm,  and  brightened  the  last  days 
of  her  earthly  existence.  When  she  return- 


104  LIFE    OF 

ed  to  her  lodgings  in  Boston,  she  lamented 
the  want  of  sun  and  of  prospect.  By  the 
instrumentality  of  judicious  friends,  she  was 
removed  to  Brookline  ;  and  when  there,  she 
wrote  the  following  note  to  a  friend,  which, 
as  the  last  effort  of  her  pen,  is  here  inserted. 

DEAR  MADAM  —  Will  you  excuse  me  if 
I  trouble  you  with  a  few  lines.  I  am  now 
settled  for  the  winter,  if  I  live.  The  great- 
est earthly  happiness  I  can  enjoy  is  seeing 

my  friends,  among  whom  dear  Mrs is 

in  the  first  rank.  I  need  not  inform  you, 
and  I  am  unable  to  express,  how  much  pleas- 
ure it  would  give  me  to  see  you  in  Brook- 
line.  The  lady  I  am  now  boarding  with  is 
all  goodness.  My  trembling  hand  will 
scarcely  allow  me  to  write.  Adieu,  dear 
Madam  ;  pray  call  upon  me  as  soon  as  you 
can  conveniently. 

From  your  affectionate  and  grateful  friend, 
H.  ADAMS. 

BROOKLINE,  Nov.  12,  1831. 

The  friend  to  whom  the  note  was  address- 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  105 

ed  hastened  to  see  her.  She  found  her 
in  a  large,  and  airy  apartment.  It  was 
a  fine  morning  ;  one  of  those  days  in  which 
'  Autumn  seems  to  linger  in  the  lap  of  Win- 
ter.' The  sun  poured  its  rays  into  her 
apartment  to  her  heart's  content.  She  was 
bright,  and  cheerful,  and  said  with  a  smile 
she  *  believed  some  people  thought  she  had 
lived  long  enough  ;  but  she  was  willing  to 
remain  as  long  as  it  pleased  God  to  contin- 
ue her,'  and  then  added,  pointing  to  the 
prospect  without,  *  how  can  any  body  be 
impatient  to  quit  such  a  beautiful  world  !' 
But  little  remains  to  be  added  to  this 
short  sketch,  and  that  little  perhaps  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  Obituary  notice  which  we 
subjoin. 

OBITUARY. 

Died  at  Brookline,  near  Boston,  on  the 
15th  inst.  Miss  HANNAH  ADAMS,  aged  seven- 
tysix.  Her  literary  labors  have  been  long 
before  the  public,  and  have  made  her  name 
known  in  Europe  as  well  as  in  her  native 


106  LIFE    OF 

land.  Her  first  work,  the  '  View  of  Reli- 
gions,' was  published  at  a  time  when  this 
country  had  few  authors,  and  when  a  book 
from  a  female  hand  was  almost  without  pre- 
cedent. She  was  not  impelled  by  any  de- 
sire of  fame ;  and  though  the  hope  of  use- 
fulness was  undoubtedly  a  strong  motive  to 
her  literary  exertions,  yet  this  would  not 
have  availed,  without  the  prospect  of  contri- 
buting by  her  pen  to  her  own  support,  and  the 
comfort  of  her  nearest  friends.  It  is  grati- 
fying to  know,  that  she  has  left  behind  a 
simple  and  interesting  memoir  of  her  early 
life,  which  precludes  the  necessity  of  saying 
more  of  her  literary  history.  Indeed,  litera- 
ry claims  are  perhaps  among  the  last  that,  at 
a  moment  like  this,  present  themselves  to  the 
minds  of  her  friends.  The  virtues  and  ex- 
cellences of  her  character,  her  blameless  life, 
her  sensibility,  the  warmth  of  her  affections, 
her  sincerity  and  candor,  call  forth  a  flow  of 
feeling  that  cannot  be  restrained.  To  an  al- 
most child-like  simplicity,  and  singleness  of 
heart,  she  united  a  clear  and  just  conception 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  107 

of  character;  to  a  deep   and  affecting   hu- 
mility, a   dignity  and  elevation  of  thought, 
that  commanded  the  respect  and  veneration 
of  those  around  her.  t  Amidst  many  infirmi- 
ties she  retained  the  freshness  and  enthu- 
siasm of  youth.  Society  never  lost  its  charms. 
To  the  aged  she  listened  with  submission  and 
gentleness  ;  to  the  classic  and  highly  gifted, 
with  a  delight  almost  amounting  to  rapture. 
The  young,  and  there  were  such  who  felt 
it  a  privilege  to  '  sit  at  her  feet,'  she  viewed 
as  '  ministering  angels'  dispensing  joy  and 
gladness.     Her  love  of  nature  was  exhaust- 
less.     The  first  beam  of  morning,  the  glory 
of  noon,  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  were 
objects  which  through  a  long  life  she  never 
contemplated     with     indifference.       Those 
who  were  in  the  habit  of  visiting  her,  will 
recollect  how  constantly  her  apartment  was 
decorated  by  flowers  of  the  field,  or  the  gar- 
den.    It  was  her  object  to  gather  round  her 
images  of  natural   and  moral  beauty.     In 
many  respects  her  mind  seemed  so  truly  con- 
stituted  for   enjoyment,    that  to  those  who 


108  LIFE    OF 

knew  her  but  slightly,  she  might  have  ap- 
peared to  be  exempted  from  that  mental 
discipline,  which  is  gradually  leading  the 
pilgrim  on  to  the  land  of  promise.  But  her 
friends  knew  otherwise  ;  they  knew  how 
keen  was  her  religious  sensibility,  how 
tremblingly  alive  her  conscience,  how  high 
her  standard  of  excellence,  and  how  great 
her  timidity  and  self-distrust,  and  they  felt 
that  this  was  not  her  haven  of  rest. 

Though  Miss  Adams's  faith  was  fervent 
and  devout,  it  partook  of  the  constitution  of 
her  sensitive  mind,  rather  than  gave  the  tone' 
to  it.  Yet  amidst  moments  of  doubt  and  de- 
spondency, a  passage  from  scripture,  or  a 
judicious  observation,  would  disperse  the 
clouds  that  had  gathered  round  her,  and  the 
brightest  sunshine  would  diffuse  itself  over 
her  mind  and  countenance.  There  are  ma- 
ny who  will  sorrow  that  they  shall  see  her 
'  face  no  more  ; '  but  those  who  knew  the 
peculiar  delicacy  of  her  constitution,  ought 
rather  to  rejoice  that  she  has  escaped  from 
the  present  inclement  winter ;  from  the 


MISS    HANNAH    ADAMS.  109 

stormy  wind  and  tempest;  that  her  eyes  have 
opened  upon  *  one  eternal  Spring,'  a  season 
that  always  awoke  the  enthusiasm  of  her 
nature,  and  which  she  said  seemed  to  her 
1  like  the  first  freshness  of  creation.' 

It  was  her  happiness  to  have  been  conver- 
sant with  some  of  the  most  enlightened  and 
gifted  men  of  the  age.  From  many  she  re- 
ceived essential  benefit ;  and  the  universal 
sympathy  and  respect,  as  well  as  the  indi- 
vidual kindness  which  she  excited,  are  testi- 
monies honorable  to  human  nature.  Many 
in  whom  she  delighted  have  passed  away. 
To  those  she  has  gone,  and  to  the  Father 
and  Saviour  whom  she  loved. 

The  last  tribute  of  respect  is,  however, 
yet  to  be  paid  to  the  honored  subject  of  this 
notice.  Her  remains  are  to  be  removed  to 
Mount  Auburn,  near  Boston,  the  spot  select- 
ed for  a  cemetery.  Subscriptions  for  a  monu- 
ment to  her  memory  have  been  raised,  and 
it  will  be  etfected  in  the  spring.  There 
seems  to  be  almost  a  poetical  unity  in  this 
10 


110          LIFE  OF  MISS  HANNAH  ADAMS. 

arrangement  ;    that  one   who  so   devoutly 

'  Looked  through  nature  up  to  nature's  God,' 

should  be  one  of  the  first  tenants  of  a  spot, 
combining  so  much  natural  beauty;  and 
which  possesses  that  magnificence  of  wood 
and  water,  which  bespeaks  it  '  a  temple 
not  made  with  hands.' 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Mftt 


MAY  18  196$ 


MAR  *31989 


01  OCT  0  6  1997 
*  ACNOV  03199 


n  L9-Series  444 


09  1988        I    - 

•070  Wflwl 

MAR1419K      SEP  08 


